Stick Up
by tx-fictionqueen
Summary: Life is business as usual when Bella walks into First Bank of Seattle to run an errand. But this bank is about to be robbed, and Edward has two choices: either let it happen, or save the girl. When Edward makes his decision, neither of them will be the same.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **_**First fic I've written in quite some time, so I hope you all will enjoy. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, as always. ;) **

It was Edward's job to run bank errands once every few months. Whether it was to deposit stacks of his own cash that he hoarded in his bedroom, withdraw money for Jasper since he was still too old school for credit cards, or to transfer funds for Carlisle into Esme's account as a shopping surprise from the former, Edward was the only Cullen trusted not to escape to Vegas for a weekend without everyone else's money. Decades ago, Rosalie had deemed herself unfit for the job when she developed a terrible gambling addiction and blew about $200,000 of her own money before losing another $50,000 of Emmett's. And because of this, Carlisle finally put his foot down and took control of the family's collective fortune. When media was beginning to pick up a story of an impossibly beautiful young blonde card counting at several casinos around the United States, Carlisle demanded no large sums of money were to be spent on any expense unless the family as a whole could agree on the purchase. And Rosalie eternally ruined the fun of gambling for everyone else.

Not that his brothers and sisters didn't spend their money on the finer things anymore. Edward admired his deep plum Lamborghini before hopping in, laying the briefcase full of cash on the leather passenger seat and revved the engine. He definitely enjoyed the finer things.

Driving down the winding roads under a gray sky that threatened rain and promised no sunshine, Edward cranked the stereo to the Forks, Washington classic rock station and enjoyed the empty interstate all the way to Seattle. He contemplated stopping once when he picked up the scent of a herd of deer along a stream in the surrounding wooded area. He let his foot off the gas pedal, and over the purring of the engine he could hear the delicate laps of the tongues as they drank thirstily. Edward swallowed once and made a mental note to stop on the way back from the bank. No point in overindulging when there was only so much time for his errands. His foot reapplied pressure on the gas and he sped forward, smirking at the speedometer as it climbed. He was making great time.

* * *

"It's okay, Mom," Bella assured her mother on the phone for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I really don't mind. I picked up like three extra shifts at the diner last week and was on my way to the bank anyway to deposit all these tips." This was a lie, but a white one. Bella occasionally had to fabricate truths when it came to her tender-hearted mother.

"I feel so terrible," Renee mumbled into the receiver. "I have become that irresponsible, pathetic, middle-aged mother asking her children for handouts. But if I'm late on this light bill again, they'll turn off everything..."

"Mom, it's okay," Bella repeated, a chuckle escaping her lips. "You gave me life, remember? You know that painful process nine months in the making when you were nineteen years-old?"

"Oh, that...thought it was indigestion. Guess you're right."

"Yes," Bella laughed again. "It's hardly a handout when I have extra cash lying around anyway." She had to mentally push herself with two hands in order to blurt that very big lie out. She stopped at the end of the busy sidewalk and waited for the signal to cross the intersection. Her chocolate brown eyes nervously swept the busy streets of downtown Seattle as she rotated in half circle, twisting her body to regain a sense of direction. "If only I could find a place that'll wire to your account. I swear, I've lived in this city for six months and I still don't know where anything is."

"Well, just ask for directions to First Bank of Seattle, it's a huge building right in the middle of downtown," Renee suggested. "You're probably not that far."

"I'm not asking for directions, are you insane?" Bella muttered, hurrying across the street. A car horn sounded a series of blares and she started, whipping her head around in time to see a pair of men with dark sunglasses hanging out the passenger side of a black Chevy Tahoe. They waved and one of them let out a few cat calls to her. She narrowed her eyes, and leaned against a bus stop advertisement for the local news station. Both anchors had thick mustaches, but the woman's mustache was cleverly drawn on with a dark green permanent marker. "I'll look like a tourist if I ask for help. Hey, Mom, just text your bank info to me and I'll let you go so I can concentrate and search for this place."

"Okay," Renee relented. "I love you, Bella. Thanks again so much, Sweetie. I know you don't have to bail out your old mom all the time, but you do it anyway."

"I love you, too, Mom. And you're not old. Middle-aged."

"Cute kid. Call me when you're done."

"Sure thing."

Bella hit 'END' on her cell phone and slipped it into her pocket as she squinted up at the tall buildings towering over her. She hated feeling so small, so alone in such a populated area, which was why she avoided getting to know downtown by never coming. Her father Charlie lived about 3 and a half hours away in Forks, Washington, but on her salary and the high price of gas these days, she hardly got the chance to go visit, but she wasn't missing anything. If there was one thing she hated more than being alone in Seattle, it was suffering through a weekend in mundane and dreary Forks, which is why she hadn't been to visit her dad since she was in middle school.

Sighing, she continued east on her trek to find the bank for one more block before it came into view. Relief flooded her as she came closer to the stone building with cream-colored pillars and tall, glass revolving-doors that were in constant motion. It was noon and lunch time for most of the suits who worked in the city. She looked both ways across the street and made her way to the entrance.

The air was filled with the buzzing of conversation and squeals of busy traffic and one particular smell that invaded Bella's nostrils. A sandwich shop adjacent to the bank had their doors wide open and the smell of freshly baked bread wafting out was making her mouth water. She was hungry, but would wait until the wire transfer to her mother was complete to eat. _It shouldn't take more than five minutes_, Bella reasoned with herself as she stopped at the revolving door. Before she took another step, she heard a familiar string of horn blasts to her right. She glanced up and once again saw that Tahoe full of men who were staring in her direction with calculating smiles. She couldn't make out their faces clearly due to the large sunglasses that donned their faces. And in an instant, they were gone, having driven around the corner of the block that opened to the alley entrance of the bank she was about to walk into. Shrugging off the cold feeling that the SUV full of obvious miscreants gave her, she continued for the revolving door of the bank to complete her business so she could hurry up and eat.

* * *

Edward heard their thoughts before they could even make it within a mile of the bank he was already inside of. He knew that he had options, of course, one being that he could quickly make his transaction and leave, allowing the bank robbery to take place once he had left, and just not look back. The four young men had guns with clips of blanks, not actual bullets, and did not plan on harming anyone. Petty thieves, Edward thought with a roll of his eyes. The petite, redhead teller caught his sudden change of attitude as she counted the bills he spread in front of her to be deposited. She rolled her own eyes, and Edward tuned in to her frequency, biting back a laugh at her expense. She thought he was a rich snob and that the roll of his eyes was because he somehow thought she wasn't counting correctly. Her own bitter train of thoughts had wrecked and she faltered, silently cursing and having to start counting the hundreds all over again.

_Why is it always the handsome ones that are such assholes?_ she rambled on.

While she began counting again, Edward thought about his other option: he could wait in the back of the bank, the alley entrance, where the car robbers were planning to rendezvous. Then he'd simply kill them, snap four necks in a matter of 2 seconds tops, and leave them in their truck. He'd done it before; intervened before a crime happened. He wasn't keen on killing these days, or ever, but he felt he had done the right thing by the would-be victims. Jasper and Emmett felt that Edward was far too intertwined still with his human feelings and did way too much to preserve human life.

They referred to him as "soft", but Edward knew this was just their polite way of calling him a "pussy" in front of Esme. Obviously he could read their thoughts, but even if he couldn't, their smug faces always spoke volumes.

Edward decided he'd allow the trivial bank robbers carry on with the stick-up. He shifted his weight, leaned casually on the counter between him and the teller, and looked around. He was trying to maintain a human demeanor. Over his shoulder, he could see the security guard gazing outside of the revolving glass doors, boring thoughts in sync with his bored face. Just tipping off any hint of trouble to the teller or to the guard would implicate Edward was part of the whole stint. Sometimes he felt bad in situations as such where he could see the evil intentions of another through their thoughts before they even happen, but have no way of preventing them in fear of putting him and his family at risk of exposure. But other times, like today, where he was thirstier than he had initially thought and therefore was, as his sister Alice lovingly put it, 'grumpy', and being that he could see that since the bank robbers, due any moment, had not a murderous intention in their minds, Edward could quite frankly care less.

"Done," the teller announced, flipping her red locks out of her face. "Twenty-thousand dollars to be deposited into your savings account, Mr. Cullen. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"No, that will be all," Edward replied, plastering a sweet smile on his face. He knew his eyes were darkening as his thirst increased, so he slid his sunglasses down from his head to his eyes, which judging by the impressed bat of the teller's eyelashes, he was sure he looked friendly enough.

"Okay, give me one second to take this to the back and I'll print you a receipt," the poor teller said, barely able to keep her wits about her. She spun on her heels and gestured to the only other security guard in the lobby of the bank to escort her to the back. Thoughts of her ankles near Edward's ears, framing his lust-filled face flashed quickly in her mind and vanished as she focused on the code she punched into the number pad for the vault. His eyebrows rose. Women.

Before he knew what was happening, Edward's body suddenly stiffened and venom quickly filled the sides of his mouth. Alarm and instinct intertwined and traveled through his lifeless body at once, the way dread would make a living human feel cold all over, like the blood in their veins turning into ice. He had become disoriented and ducked his head down while his eyes darted left and right as if expecting an attack. Rarely caught off guard, especially with such a significant advantage of mind reading, Edward cursed under his breath. Not only had the impending bank robbery arrived quicker than he had anticipated, the minds of these robbers had darkened as they revealed their disturbing pleasure upon seeing a girl walk into the very bank they planned on assaulting in less than 60 seconds. The same girl he watched stroll through the revolving doors at that very moment.

* * *

The delicious bakery smell still lingered in the foyer of the bank, causing Bella to enter the fancy building with a goofy grin on her face. It immediately was wiped away when she surveyed her surroundings. Rows of large mahogany desks with customers and bankers in discussion created a bullpen like atmosphere among the center of the bank, and to the far left she saw a very long line full of fidgety adults waiting to be called on by an open teller. Once she got her bearings, she nodded politely to an overweight security guard staring listlessly out the windows and started to make her way to the end of the teller line. She reached into her purse and grabbed the thick envelope full of cash and stood behind an older gentleman with a cold. He sniffled and something rattled in his throat, and Bella's eyes rolled up, asking God or whoever was listening to make the line move quicker. Not that she was happy about it, but Bella had been contemplating joining her mother's bank account to hers, just to avoid situations like this. Lowering her eyes to people watch some more, Bella felt that slight, yet undeniable twinge of surety that she was being watched, though the feeling had a more urgent sensation, like that of being hunted. She rolled her shoulders and extended her neck from left to right, attempting to shake the feeling when she locked eyes with the culprit.

He was stunning to say the least; reddish-brown and untamed hair styled upward and carefully, eyes so dark in contrast with the paleness of his face, causing him to give off an almost shimmery aura. The very definition of tall and handsome, the stranger continued to stare, almost rudely, not abashed at having been caught by Bella. The intensity was too much, and she had to look away as the blush stained her cheeks. Though wildly uncomfortable with the sudden attention of the stranger, she couldn't help but look up again and meet his eyes. They were glazed over, and she was slightly embarrassed to consider that maybe he was just staring off to into space while deep in thought.

Bella's face grew hotter as she risked one last glance at the stranger when suddenly she felt the air around her change. There was a crackle of fear as the tiny hairs that covered the back of her neck rose like a signal of warning. She felt cool air on her left arm, like opening the freezer door on a hot summer day, and before she could figure out why, a piercing scream of fear split through the quiet bank.


	2. Chapter 2

Edward doesn't remember very much about the limited senses that humans are burdened by. But with all the new threats to mankind flying in left and right as the times progressed, Edward was grateful that he was now an immortal vampire.

And with becoming a vampire, a special "power" was bestowed upon him—the gift of mind-reading. He could read the minds of anybody he encountered, and after a century of practice, every person he interacted with was intimately known by him within seconds of hearing their thoughts and they didn't even know it.

His power wasn't completely flawless, though. Sometimes, people threw a wrench in the routine. When the girl entered the bank, her mind was silent and she was grinning, aimlessly walking into the building like a moth to the flame. Which, judging by the thoughts of the four men now entering the bank, she was quite literally a flimsy little moth attracted to her flickering doom. Time slowed down for Edward as he cast out his attention and focused on only the thoughts of the robbers who would soon join them in the lobby of the bank.

Two were currently using a crowbar to intrude from the back entrance, one was slipping through the fire exit (the alarm had been cut three days prior so that it wouldn't sound when the door opened), and the last man's thoughts were sending Edward into a rage. He watched through the man's eyes as he waltzed right in the front entrance of the bank and zeroed in on the brown-eyed girl who was still gaging Edward's intense glare.

A tick of the clock's second hand sounded and Edward realized that he had another pair of options: One, he could play along when the robber who was successfully past the fire exit arrived in 17.2 seconds, brandishing his unloaded rifle and demanded everyone got down on the floor. Edward would hand over the wallet from his jeans that held no identification or cash when the gunman ordered one of the fellows who entered from the back alley to gather everybody's belongings. If Edward allowed this, he knew that he would be allowing the man who was now 3.8 seconds away from the girl ample time to wrap his strong arms around her, constricting her like a great boa, and rip her away to the SUV waiting in the alley. Edward emitted a low growl as the man's plans for the girl in his seedy studio apartment where he would take her then leave her until he decided where to dump her lifeless body played in his brain on a big white screen and he felt like a dirty old man in a smut theater watching a disgusting movie.

So Edward decided he would go with Plan B.

It took him exactly 1.1 seconds to initiate the first part of the plan, which was to grab the girl and run. He shifted his gaze to the 9 people in line that were facing different directions, luckily, none were towards him, and he moved. Along with mind-reading and indestructible immortality, Edward was lightning fast. Even if one of the bank patrons had their eye on him as he jetted away, they wouldn't have caught more than a blur, if that.

Within the next .14 seconds, Edward asked himself why? Why is he risking exposure and potentially harmful repercussions in doing what he was about to do? As he arrived to the side of the girl while the robber looked over his shoulder at the distracted security guard, Edward reached out to grab her arm and take her away from the view of the man, but quickly retrieved his hand back. He stood directly behind her, hovering over her thick mane of dark, chestnut-colored hair. He couldn't quite calculate the amount of time he stood there, memorizing her smell, his eyes half-closed as he fought emotions of desire, obsession, thirst, and extreme fear, all at once. This girl and her scent were causing Edward to flail.

She smelled of light sweat, like she had been walking in the humidity outside for quite some time, and baked bread, and raspberry-scented shampoo, and oddly, like pencil shavings. Then as he took another deep inhale, his eyes went wide with euphoria. Her blood sang to him, coursing through her delicate veins, a savory aroma he could not liken to anything he had ever endured in his entire being. Her scent was the end of his previous life and the beginning of his new one.

Her scent was now the only reason for existing.

Within the short moment it took for the robber to turn his neck back around, Edward had come to the decision that this man with blonde hair peeking out from beneath his black wool beanie and aviator sunglasses, the man who had such evil plans for the girl Edward was pledging his allegiance to, well, he would have to die.

Then the redhead teller began to scream and the girl, the robber, and Edward's heads snapped up.

* * *

Bella always liked to think that in a time of crisis or mass hysteria, she would be of the few running towards the chaos to help out rather than run away from it. She even considered becoming a paramedic when she arrived in Seattle to start a new life after graduating high school in Arizona. But after realizing her valiant dreams of helping those in need would require her interaction with blood and needles on a daily basis, she quickly got over that dream.

So when she heard the panicked shrieking, she stiffened. Nobody screams like that for any little reason other than their life has been threatened. Her mind still reeling from the cold blast of air that hit her from all directions, her mouth dropped open when she found the source of the screams. From the back area behind the teller desks emerged an ample-chested, red-haired woman who was pleading for her life from a man with the barrel of his pistol held to her head and the other arm wrapped around her neck in a chokehold. She was his hostage.

_Shit, _she thought. _This is happening. This is a stick-up._ Then another thought she immediately hated herself for surfaced as she watched the poor teller blubber. _Somebody help me._ How she hated her own cowardice. Why should she be rescued when she wasn't in immediate danger? She wanted her mom. She wanted Charlie. And for a reason she could not explain as the trembling in her stomach grew into a full body shake, she wanted to see the beautiful man at the teller's desk. Bella's eyes flitted to where the stranger that watched her so intensely was standing not seconds before, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion—he was gone.

"Well, Jesus," came a playful, yet deep voice from behind Bella. "You're always jumping the gun, aren't you, bro?"

She flinched and turned slowly to find herself face-to-face with a tall man dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans. His eyes were covered by a pair of aviator sunglasses and his black beanie covered the top of very pale blonde hair that spilled out over his ears. Her breath caught in her throat as he revealed a wolfish smile at Bella and she heard internal alarms go off in every corner of her brain. With her nervous eyes, she followed his muscly, outstretched arm, forever branded by a sleeve of chaotic tattoos in every color, to see that he had his own silver pistol that was pointed right at the face of the once bored security guard, who now looked terrified and not bored at all. The man kept his stance taut and alert, gun on the guard and face on Bella, but he addressed his 'bro' who was still holding onto the screaming teller. "I was going to introduce myself to this pretty lady over here when you decided to make your entrance early."

The man with the teller chuckled. "Looks like we hit the jackpot today, man. You get a girl, and so do I." He was also donned in completely black clothing, his hoodie falling loose on his skinny frame. His tongue fell out of his mouth and he gave one long lick of the shrieking teller's face as she tried to wriggle from his grasp. Bella's insides detached and she felt her body weaken as she processed what the bank robber said. _You get a girl. _And it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"You're the guys from the truck," Bella said quietly as she gazed at the blonde robber's black boots. "You followed me here."

"Aw," the blonde man cooed. "We were already coming here. You were just a bonus, Sweetheart. Now, be a good girl for Daddy and lay flat on the ground while we get paid." Bella stood frozen as the grin disappeared from the robber's face and he gazed over Bella's left shoulder. "You too, pretty boy. On the floor."

"Get down," a husky voice whispered in her ear and Bella nearly jumped out of her skin. The cold air returned as she felt two freezing fingers dig into her elbow and nearly yank her to the floor. She yelped, preparing to claw the eyes out of another robber when she whirled around and looked into the nearly black eyes of the beautiful man she had so desperately wanted to see.

"Please," he added. He removed his fingers from her arm, but a frenzied look on his pale face suggested if Bella didn't do what he asked, he would make her do it anyway. Still violently shaking so much that she felt her teeth chatter, Bella nodded and crumpled to the ground. In her head, she tried to retrace his steps from earlier. How did she miss him coming towards her? Wasn't he over 20 feet away when the teller started to scream? She watched the beautiful man carefully as he followed her to the marble tile and got on two knees, his arms up in surrender. Almost as if it pained him to do so, he slowly took his eyes off her for a moment and Bella saw his murderous expression as he stared at the gun-wielding lunatic in front of them.

"Lovely," the blonde robber nodded at him and gestured for the security guard, who had his hands up behind his head, to walk ahead of him as he made his way to the teller's desk. He addressed the rest of the patrons in the bank who were all lying on the floor, soundless. "Good morning, everybody. I want your money and your cooperation, and absolutely nothing else. Anyone who gives me or my friends here any trouble will promptly be shot in the face. Understood?" He rotated his neck back to Bella as she peered up at him from the floor. "Then I'm gonna take you out to a nice steak dinner." His grin widened and Bella wanted to shriek, but the redhead teller was still doing enough of that for the both of them. The robber whipped around and kicked at the security guard, causing him to fall to the floor. "Now shut that bitch up, because my trigger finger is itching." He drove his point home by aiming the gun at the teller who began to sob quietly against the man who still held her.

"Shh," the other robber who held her tightly whispered in her ear. Bella was trying not hyperventilate when she felt the air around her get thinner, like she was running out of oxygen to suck in. She knew that the blonde robber would try to take her with him when they left, and she was calculating the time it would take for her to run out of the bank while he was distracted. Accounting for her almost comical lack of grace that would assure she would trip and fall before making it the ten feet to the revolving door, she then began to weigh which choice would be worse—get caught by the robber and be shot in the back while attempting to escape, or risk him taking her to an unknown place where she would sure meet her end.

"I don't know what you're thinking right now, but please try not to move," a whispered voice came from her left, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm going to take care of it."

Bella slowly turned her face to meet the beautiful man once again, and quickly averted her eyes. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her life, and it was cruel that she was meeting him under the circumstances. 'Take care of it? What do you mean?" She gulped and raised her eyes to meet his intense stare. "Are you a cop?"

The beautiful man smirked and scooted closer to Bella. She smelled his scent, a woodsy aroma with a hint of lilacs. "No, I'm not a cop. My name is Edward." He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps squeaking on the marble floor and the sudden appearance of the third robber.

"Empty your pockets, and toss me your wallet, asshole," the third robber, an African-American man also dressed in completely black clothing and sunglasses snapped at Edward. Bella watched Edward begin to tremble. He didn't seem scared, she observed, but his face was blank, almost lifeless. Fumbling into his pocket, he tossed his wallet behind him, over his shoulder and directly at the robber without glancing his way. "Great, now you." The robber stood right over Bella as she gripped the envelope full of cash in her hand tighter. She felt the tears leak out of her eyes and her vision grew blurry as she reached up and felt the robber snatch the money and he walked away. She blinked quickly, trying to clear the moisture from her eyes when she felt the cold biting air again. This time, she felt it brush her cheek, and realized with a sharp gasp that it was Edward's index finger, hooked slightly as he used the back of it to wipe her tears. She shivered at his touch.

"I'm Bella."

* * *

Unfortunately, now things were much more complicated than they had been 20 seconds ago.

Initially, Edward was going to grab Bella and slip out of the bank in less than 2 seconds, unseen by anyone, and then he would deposit her safely on the block's crosswalk where she would, undoubtedly confused and possibly questioning her sanity, be safe and free to walk away. And so would Edward. But the problem with this foolproof plan was that when Edward actually got to Bella, the smell of her body and blood sent him reeling. Too much time had passed and the robber's thoughts had poisoned Edward's mind. Like a virus eating him from the inside out, any thoughts of harm towards Bella caused Edward revulsion, and he had gotten distracted.

His throat on fire as he took another breath and inhaled the girl's scent, Edward hesitated. His allegiance to Bella's safety was teetering on the line between wanting her out of harm's way, and wanting her alone. As his desire for her safety began to diminish, he could sense the underlying hunger for her appealing smell. He watched her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and expose the side of her long, slender neck as she faced the tile, and the quick beating of her heart caused him to internally groan. The adrenaline pumping through her veins both excited him and startled him.

Was his plan to save Bella for her own good, or for his? He tore his eyes away from the girl and looked up as the robbers began to wrap up their heist and gather the last of the money from the teller's registers and the back vault. He tuned into the blonde robber's thoughts as the man walked closer towards Edward and Bella. He knew saving her from an agonizing and humiliating future that the blonde robber had in mind for her was the right thing to do, but Edward could not decide if after he saved her, if he would be able to let her go.

* * *

Bella's heart nearly did a full stop as she realized the blonde robber was now walking back to her, and she wondered what Edward meant when he said he was "going to take care of it." Who was he to make such promises to Bella, a stranger? And why was she so insistent on believing him? She wanted to grab onto his arm, pull him to her and disappear. She took one more look in Edward's eyes that were black as coal as he watched the robber grab Bella's arm and pull her up on her feet.

"Come on, baby," the robber muttered. "Time to go." He took one look at Edward, still on the ground, and smirked. "Later, pretty boy."

Bella's legs were rubber and her vision blurred. Forgetting Edward's promise to help her, she went into full on panic mode. She was being led down a poorly lit corridor at the back of the bank when she heard the whimpers of the redhead teller behind her, clearly being led to danger just like Bella. The tears began again as she pleaded with the blonde robber.

"Please, don't do this."

"You call that begging?" he asked and turned to Bella. She saw her reflection in his aviator sunglasses and noticed for the first time he wasn't grinning. They hurried through the back door and she held her breath as she saw the black SUV with the engine running. The sky was now darker and the wind was causing the drizzle to sting her face.

"No," she yelped. She stupidly tried planting her feet to the ground, but the blonde robber gave her arm one good yank and it screamed with pain. He dragged Bella to the side of the truck and slammed her against the closed door.

"Shut up," the blonde robber snarled before slamming an open palm against the window near her head. "You're getting in the truck, just like Red over here." He gestured with a nod of his head to the sobbing teller now seated in the truck. Using his free hand, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a thick rope. "I promise I'll take good care of you, Sweetheart. But if you fight me, I will put a bullet in your chest and leave you bleeding to death in this goddamn alley." He turned her around and pressed the full length of his body against her back. She shuddered a cry, and felt her arms twist behind her as he tied her wrists together with the rope.

Bella saw spots in her vision as she felt herself being pushed into the backseat of the truck. The car door slammed and she waited to faint. It was like she was watching her body from above because this couldn't be real. Just minutes ago, she was running an errand for her mother. Now she only had minutes before she would cease to exist. She wasn't mentally equipped to deal with this. Her eyelids began to grow heavy, and she fought to gain control but she was going under. The blonde robber jogged around to the passenger side of the truck before climbing in and slamming the door behind him.

Her consciousness fading, Bella felt the engine start and felt the gears of the truck shift.

* * *

Edward didn't let a split second go by before he was on his feet running to the back of the bank. He could vaguely hear the relieved thoughts of the patrons of the bank around him and the remaining tellers in the bank scrambling to the phones to dial 9-1-1. He felt panic begin to rise in him as he heard the blonde robber's thoughts turn dark and sinister. He could see through his eyes the way Bella's eyes widened in terror and how much he was aroused by her distress.

Edward would ensure that this was the last pleasant feeling the robber would ever feel.

He reached the end of the corridor and saw the robbers filing out of the back entrance, one after the other. Taking one last look behind him to make sure no one was following him, he moved stealthily down the hall. The last robber in the back that held several bags full of stolen money wasn't quick enough, and Edward grabbed his neck with both hands, dug his fingers into the soft flesh, and ripped.

* * *

Bella had never fainted before. She was always woozy after the sight of blood, but never lost complete control. She heard people describe it as feeling like they were falling asleep. But not once did anyone ever say that it felt like flying. She was slumped in the back seat of the truck when the sensation of weightlessness began. She felt her fingers grasp at the seat, trying to stay down. Were they already driving? Were they taking a bumpy back road somewhere? Then the moving stopped suddenly and she was at rest. The last thing she remembered before finally losing consciousness was the smell metallic smell of blood invading her nostrils, followed by a whiff of lilacs.

* * *

Edward's rage was unyielding, but he had made the first two robber's deaths quick and easy. After disposing of the first robber, he reached the second before he could jump into the rear doors of the black truck. He landed a kick to the second robber's ribs and watched him skid across the cement and come to a stop under a dumpster. Feeling the strength simmering beneath his fingertips, he grabbed onto the bumper of the SUV and lifted, careful not to flip the entire vehicle over. The front two tires screeched as they turned in place while the robber slammed on the gas pedal. He ripped the back tires off the truck before letting it slam down and flitted to the driver's side. He heard Bella's shallow breathing coming from the back seat over the confused shouts of the two robbers in the front.

"Who the fuck are you?" were the last words of the driver before Edward grabbed his throat and closed his fist until he heard a satisfying crunch, then sent him flying through the front windshield. He inhaled slowly in satisfaction. The fear and sweat accumulating off the blonde robber had reached Edward's nostrils and he sneered at his terrified face.

Scrambling out of the truck and making a run for it down the alley, the blonde robber began to scream for help. He slipped in a puddle and fell flat on his back. Edward let out a loud bark of laughter and darted to his side.

"Please," the blonde man pleaded. His beanie and glasses now off, he stared up at Edward with pale blue eyes. "Don't kill me."

"You call that begging?"

* * *

Bella heard police sirens and muffled talking, then felt a hand shake her shoulder gently. "Ma'am, are you alright? Can you walk?"

She jumped in alarm, kicking her legs at the blonde man hovering over her. "Get away from me!" she shrieked. Her arms were still tied behind her back, she was now fully awake and back in panic mode.

"Ma'am!" the blonde man's voice sounded different, older and stern. "I am Officer Richards, please, ma'am. I'm here to help you out of the truck."

Bella stopped kicking as the man's face finally came into focus and she realized it was an actual cop in uniform, no black beanie or sunglasses. After regaining normal breathing, she scooted out of the back seat and allowed Officer Richards to cut the rope binding her hands and lead her to an ambulance parked behind the SUV. After several questions from different authorities, a woman who identified herself as an FBI agent offered Bella a ride back to her apartment.

"No!" she shouted, feeling herself begin to panic again. She couldn't be alone in her apartment after today. She had sudden flashbacks of the bank robbers' faces, the weight of the blonde man's body against her back, the burning of her wrists from the rope constraint. And lastly, she thought of Edward. _I'm going to take care of it_. "Please…if it's not too much trouble, can I wait at the police station? I will call my father to come pick me up. He lives in Forks and I want to stay with him."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the delay between updates, but I just finished my finals for the semester so now I'm back on track.**

**Also, this is the first fic I've written in awhile so I'm not familiar with the slang or lingo found in the summaries, but just be forewarned that this fic can and will get a little dark and mature, but I hope you enjoy it anyway, because who doesn't like a little Edward gone wild in their Twilight fic? :]**

Bella wrapped her freezing fingers around the ceramic mug, allowing the sting of the heat to burn her skin so she could feel something, anything, rather than the hollowness that consumed her at that moment. She looked up at the bare wall in front of her as she sat and waited. It was exactly like one of those cop dramas on cable television; a freezing room with a table and two chairs and a loudly ticking clock on the wall beside a tiny camera to film her entire night holed up in there. After the FBI agent, whose name she remembered was Agent Donna Michaels, drove her to the Seattle Police Department's downtown precinct, Bella was under the impression she would be able to call her father to come get her and be safe in the car with him within a couple of hours. But 8 hours later, long after she made the call, Bella was still being held for questioning.

She wanted to be as helpful as she could, but she clammed up, only giving the detective brought in to rail her thin for answers clipped and non-committal statements. Though Bella had been adamant that she was not sexually assaulted, the memory of the blonde-haired robber pressing the full length of his semi-aroused body against her back sliced through her thoughts like a ringing her frontal lobe and she'd bite back describing her ordeal to the detectives. She began to get weepy, begging to be released to her father who the detective said was waiting for her outside in another office, but they were determined to get all the details.

"You see, Miss Swan," a lanky man with a crew cut who introduced himself earlier on as Detective Harris addressed her. "We understand that you and the bank teller who was forced into the truck with you have been through a nightmare of a situation. We know that you would like nothing more than to put this day behind you."

Bella nodded slightly, staring a hole into the forest green carpet beneath her.

"But we really need more details from you about the men who took you."

"I've told you everything," Bella said quietly, still not lifting her gaze from the ground. She inhaled sharply, and gazed in the full cup of coffee still between her hands, frowning because the steam had stopped curling from the rim and the emptiness was back. She had already described everything she could: how many gunmen there were, the exact words they said in the bank, and all she could remember before passing out in the backseat of the SUV. Only one detail was spared from her statement, and she avoided eye contact with the detective sitting on the opposite end of the table as though he'd be able to extract the scent of lilacs from her thoughts without her permission. She sighed and asked for more coffee.

"Sure, Miss Swan," Harris replied, rising from the table and reaching for the door before he turned around to face her. He waited until she met his eyes with her own. "I know this isn't getting any easier, and I'm really not supposed to share this with you, but I'm on your side."

Bella's mouth twitched but she stayed silent.

"Your descriptions of the bank robbers and the time table of the actual heist are consistent with all witnesses," the detective continued, slowly drifting back to the table and sat back down, keeping his gaze on her the entire time. "But what we've been trying to get from you all night is how you're still alive." The young girl shifted uncomfortably in her chair as the detective waited.

"I-I…" Bella stammered. She really wanted to see her father. The cold feeling in her fingers spread into her stomach. "I don't understand the question."

"I'm going to tell you why you haven't been released to your father yet. You're not telling us everything. And ma'am, there are some things about today that just don't add up. So let me tell you why we are interested in you." He paused, glanced up at the camera next to the clock on the wall behind Bella. "The first responders found the teller who was forced into the backseat with you screaming her head off in the middle of the street," the detective supplied. "But we found you at a murder scene."

Lilacs and blood.

"All of the robbers were found dead at the scene, the truck mangled as badly as their bodies were," Harris went on, his gentle demeanor now gone along with his patience for Bella. "We're still looking for the rest of the blonde robber's body, though."

"Stop," Bella inhaled a sharp breath as she began to shake uncontrollably. "Please, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I wish I could stop, but there was more than just one crime committed today," Harris said and put both his arms up, palms facing Bella as if he was surrendering. "Now, I know a good person like you could never hurt someone else with her bare hands." He glanced pointedly at her shaking fingers, watching the coffee spill over onto her skin. He stood up and approached her slowly, bending at the knees and got eye-level with the girl before gently prying the cold coffee from her grasp. Setting it on the table, he took her palms and pushed them together so they stayed between his larger hands. His movements were slow and deliberate. "So, can you tell me who Edward Cullen is?"

Bella's eyes met the detective's for the first time that night as a shudder racked her body. She had been hoping all night that he could answer that question for _her_.

* * *

The steady rain pounded on the hood of Edward's Lamborghini at a relentless rate, causing a dull roar to fill his ears. He welcomed the noise as he attempted to relax and focus solely on the roar instead of the thoughts invading his brain that didn't belong to him.

_Never my own_, he thought bitterly. _I will never be alone._

A car honked in the distance, a baby cried in the apartment building above him as the mother woke up to feed her hungry infant, and a couple made love loudly a few blocks down. Edward was parked in an alley with a dead end and no light to expose him as he waited. He was twenty miles away from the bank in Seattle, but couldn't get away completely. He was responsible for four deaths, all deserved. He could live with himself for that. But he couldn't live with the longing that crawled over every inch of his skin for the girl he thirsted for. He remembered opening the truck door and peering in at her body that was flat against the seat. Her chest rising and falling evenly as though she was napping peacefully, but her slack mouth and furrowed brows betrayed her peace. The shirt she was wearing had rode up, exposing her flat stomach, a taut and smooth flash of skin that Edward fought not to press his lips to. He heard sirens in the distance. He wanted to grab her and leave. What would happen after he fled with her away from the bank, he would never know. His instincts were dominated by his will, and he left alone.

_It's me._

The soft voice as clear as a bell in his mind startled him. He didn't have time to recover before he was joined in the front cab of his car by his sister Alice with nothing more than the soft click of the door closing to accompany her. They stared at each other for a long time before she pulled the contents from her purse strapped across her body out of the bag and shoved them into Edward's hands. He looked at the tapes and stayed silent.

"She's not talking," Alice huffed. She crossed her arms tightly over her slender chest and stared forward, not seeing the rain even as it splashed on the car they sat in. "She's still being questioned, and they asked for you."

Edward's head snapped up. "It's been almost ten hours, and she's still not home yet?" he demanded. He squinted and peered up at the sky through his windshield. His vision was sharp and high definition, regardless of the rain, and he could see the first hints of the rising sun to the east.

"Don't," Alice's voice chimed. Edward could hear the skin of her fists tighten as they burrowed further into her leather jacket. "You've made a big enough mess already. Don't start caring about affairs that don't involve you." Her voice was light, like the tinkle of a silver bell. But her tone was scathing, disapproving. "I can't really _see_ her or what she's going to say, so I had to camp outside of the police station after I grabbed the surveillance tapes from the bank so I could hear her." She chewed on her bottom lip, a very human act. Edward felt a pang of guilt. What he had done was going to cause repercussions for his family, the first and only thing he never wanted to do. "Even after they said your name to her, she didn't budge."

"My name?"

"The teller dropped your deposit slips and receipts when the robber grabbed her in the vault," Alice muttered. "Your name and signature and time stamp of the deposit are on the receipts, but you weren't there when the cops questioned all the people that were in the bank at the time." She sighed and finally turned her head to look at her brother in the face. "I grabbed the tapes in time but didn't circle around fast enough for the receipts, for that I am sorry."

Edward groaned. "Alice, it's remarkable you were there at all. Don't apologize."

"I _saw_ you…" Alice choked out before shutting her lips. Edward heard her inhale deeply. "I _saw_ you stopping the robbery, then letting it happen, then killing the men, then killing the girl. It was like an endless loop, a broken record stuttering over and over again. I didn't know what you were going to do. By the time you decided, all I had time to do was grab the tapes."

"I know," Edward said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't even decide what I wanted to do. I don't know what I'm going to about her now."

"Well," Alice sighed. "Like I said, they know your name. It won't take long to make the connection that you live in Forks, even if the girl doesn't say anything about you. Looks like we'll have to take off for awhile." She made a face. "Wait, what do you mean you don't know what you're going to do about her _now_? There's nothing for you to do…" Her face went blank as Edward cringed. She was _seeing_ something else right this second. His sister Alice was as talented as he was in many different ways. Edward could read minds, but Alice could read the future. And her tiny body began to tremble in anger as she saw his future before focusing back on him. "I forbid you!" Her golden eyes blazed in fury.

"Alice, please." Edward let the tapes in his hands fall into his lap as he raised his hands and grabbed his hair in frustration. "Stop it. It's maddening enough in my own mind but when you're screaming your brains out about my plans it's like nails on a chalkboard in my head." The rain was letting up and the sound of the fat drops on his hood weren't as distracting.

"You cannot go sniffing around looking for her," Alice growled, ignoring his plea. Her fists were balled so tightly that Edward thought her bones would split the skin of her hands. "They _know_ your _name_. We have to leave and today." Her thoughts rattled on as she remained silent, cursing Edward for his stupidity and disregard for his actions and how they would affect her, Jasper, Carlisle. As her rant came to an end, her fear for Edward's well-being surfaced.

"I hate that I've done this to you all," Edward said as he turned and faced his sister. "But I cannot relent. That girl…"

Alice hissed.

"…Bella. Something happened to me when I laid eyes on her," Edward finished, ignoring his sister's reaction to the girl's name.

"Edward, listen to me!" Alice yelped. "They know the tapes are missing. They know you were at the bank. Several witnesses described you as comforting the girl before the robber abducted her. You are at risk of _exposure_. You were not careful and you are not even trying to clean up this mess. I am!"

Edward stayed silent as he let his decision solidify before Alice's all-seeing eyes. She growled again. Even for such a tiny person, Edward knew his strength was only matched by someone like Alice, so he tensed. "I'm so sorry. I don't expect you all to stick around and help me do anything or even put up with my behavior. I will leave on my own if I must…"

"Idiot," she interrupted him again. "We would never leave you to fend for yourself. We stick together." She chewed her lip again. "I can't understand what happened to you today, but I _saw_ it. I know this is beyond your control, but Edward, you must fight this. I have looking at your future from all different angles here, but right now, regardless of what you might think you can control, you end up killing her."

Edward recoiled at Alice's words. He had been sitting for hours thinking of Bella fondly, needing her in an almost erotic way and his throat vaguely burned of thirst, but he didn't want to outright kill her. He thought he could control himself, the overwhelming urge to keep Bella alive was running rampant inside of him, but if Alice couldn't see a future where he could be around the girl who was beckoning him without even knowing it where he didn't kill her, what else could Edward do?

"I can't get her out of my head," Edward said pitifully. "I don't want to kill her. What is happening to me?"

Alice's face finally softened as she watched her brother unravel in front of her. "I don't know. What I do know is that you cannot seek her out. Come home. We'll figure out our next steps when we get there." She placed a hand on Edward's shoulder, gently squeezing. "You are my brother, and I will always be here to clean up your mess. I should not have suggested otherwise that I wouldn't be here if you didn't need me."

Edward let his sister's words float around in his mind in an attempt to shadow his thoughts of Bella. Even with the defeated feeling threatening to overcome him, he couldn't let her go.

He wouldn't.

* * *

"Oh, God," Charlie Swan choked on emotion as he swept his daughter into his arms. "My sweet baby girl."

"Dad," Bella cried softly. "I'm so sorry they kept you waiting, they wouldn't let me go."

"Don't you dare apologize," Charlie breathed deeply the scent of his daughter before holding her at arm's length away from him. He grazed her face with his eyes, searching for any hint of injury. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Bella nodded, wiping away a few tears. She had never in her life been so happy to see her dad. He was middle-aged but had boyish looks and could pass for a younger man had he ever the mind to shave off his distinguished mustache. Her father always had furrowed brows and hunched shoulders, like he was waiting for bad news every day. He looked slightly aged and more hunched over than usual, no doubt worrying about her physically affecting him. "I'm okay, Dad. Can I …I just really want to stay with you for a few days."

"Bella," Charlie started, drawing her close again and turning her towards the exit. "You don't even get a say in it. You are staying with me, and not for a few days. I don't want you out of my sight again." He wrapped his arm around her back as he escorted her out of the station into the morning light.

Bella winced a little at the shock of the bright sun bearing down on her before looking up at her father. "Dad, that's crazy, I have a job here and an apartment."

"We'll talk about it later. Let's go home."

Bella nodded and sniffed, the events of the last 12 hours peeling like layers off of her skin. She was safe now, warm and wrapped in the familiar scent of her father's police cruiser. He started the engine and asked if she was hungry. She declined and settled back into her seat. She would enjoy being with her dad for the next few days so that she could have time to make sense of what the detective told her and perhaps sleep for 24 hours straight so she could forget it all.

They were convinced Edward committed the grisly acts of murder. The man who had comforted her just minutes before ending the lives of the men who took her. She was "left alive". Could he have been apart of the entire heist? Had something stopped him from killing her himself? His beautiful face was imprinted in her mind, and the scent that accompanied the vision of him came over her again, as it had constantly since she first saw him in the bank.

Suddenly, the taste in her mouth soured and the overwhelming feeling to vomit overcame her. She motioned to her father to stop the car and the green tint of her skin made it clear as to why. He pulled over in the parking lot and held back Bella's hair as she leaned out of her open door and heaved out the nearly nothing content of her stomach. After a few moments to collect herself and shedding a few tears, Bella wrapped her arms around herself and realized all the comfort of her father in all the world could not keep her safe as long as the scent of lilacs never left her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for all the encouraging reviews, favorites, & follows. It's a great incentive to receive all this feedback in order to push one's self through some writer block, and for that I appreciate you all. Enjoy the update :]**

* * *

Seattle Bank Targeted for Heist, Four Murders Left Unsolved

AP-Associated Press

The patrons of a downtown Seattle Bank were held hostage by four gunmen in an early afternoon robbery at the corner of Richmond Street and Queens Avenue. Shortly after the police were notified of a disturbance at the establishment, one victim of the heist informed the first responders of a violent attack in the alley behind the bank and led authorities to four dead bodies. The names of the victims are being withheld at the time.

"No suspects have been apprehended in the murders of the four men believed at this time to be the suspects in the initial robbery," Police Chief George Winter said in response to reporters at the crime scene. "No patrons of the bank were harmed, and a person of interest has been taken in for questioning, but no arrests have been made at this time."

The robbery was the first in the history of the bank's institution, and representatives of the credit union did not immediately return calls for information.

More details to come as they emerge.

* * *

Bella jumped when the shower head started to whistle from the strain of the water pressure. She watched the silver pipe above her head shiver and frowned, reluctantly turning the knobs to switch off the water. Though she had been clean for half an hour, she had found comfort in the warm water that cascaded over her naked body, swaying under the steam for as long as possible. Sighing, she stepped out of the tub and toweled herself off briskly. Wrapping her hair up in the used towel and pulling on her PJ's, she opened the bathroom door and started down the hallway to her bedroom. The door was wide open and a dim light from the bedside lamp cast shadows over Charlie who was fastening the fitted sheet on her full-size mattress.

"Hey, Bells," he greeted her, straightening his frame and crossing his arms. "Just wanted to put the blankets on for you and move all my boxed files out of the way so you have some room to walk around in here."

Bella studied the small space that used to be her childhood bedroom back when her parents were still married and all three of them lived in this two-story dwelling at the edge of the woods in the small town of Forks. Charlie explained on the drive that the room was now used as storage, but still had her old bed so she'd have a comfortable place to lay her head at night. She nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Dad."

"Now, get some sleep. But if you need anything, I'm in the room right next to you, alright?" Charlie stared at his daughter, looking for any sign of distress after her episode in the car.

"Yeah," Bella nodded again and took a step towards her bed. "I'm fine, really. I just really want to pass out now. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Sure, goodnight." Charlie mimicked his daughter's quick nod and shuffled past her, patting her shoulders lightly before mumbling a quiet sentiment, "I'm glad you're here with me, Bells." Then he was gone.

Bella sat down on the stiff mattress and allowed her eyes to roam over the boxes marked by dates and last names, no doubt work brought home from the station over the years. The dark purple drapes were thick and still, shielding the room from the glaring, late-afternoon sun. She thought of Charlie's offer to stay here permanently. More like a demand rather than an offer, he wanted her to leave Seattle for good. Bella had only lived in the city for 6 months and had a generic waitressing job that she could find anywhere. No career path particularly in mind, no friends she couldn't bear to leave.

Wait, was she really thinking about coming to live in Forks? The population was barely over 1,000 inhabitants and though her particular memories of the town weren't bad, her mother's stifled voice rang in her head, cursing this place and a relentless gratification for having left it and Charlie behind.

Her mother. She still hadn't called her to tell her about her ordeal. Bella's cell phone had long since been dead and still waited in the back pocket of her jeans that lay in a crumpled pile in the corner of the room, but she didn't have the heart to get up and charge it. She figured once she had her wits about her and as much sleep as she could get, she would dial Renee first thing in the morning. Her mother would be distraught at having not heard from Bella the moment she was released from the police station, but she had already resolved to not relaying the bulk of details (like almost being abducted and being found by the cops in the middle of a pile of dead bodies) in her explanation.

The guilt weighing heavily upon Bella, she groaned and pulled the towel holding her damp hair up off of her, letting it fall to the floor. Unable to summon the strength to reach into her overnight bag hastily packed by her father during the hours he waited for her release and grab her hairbrush, she instead flipped off the lamp on her nightstand, stretched out on her back and closed her eyes. She waited for sleep that never came.

* * *

When Edward and Alice arrived at the large house inhabited by the entire Cullen clan, they both hesitated before getting out of the car. Though Alice had no idea what everyone in the house was currently thinking like Edward did, she had _seen_ how tonight might play out in a few different ways. Jasper was furious, only for having Alice involved in Edward's troubles, troubles that could have so easily been avoided. Because of this, Alice feared her partner and Edward would clash the hardest. She turned and faced her brother who switched off the ignition. "I'll take Jasper away for now and we'll be back later." Without waiting for a response, Edward felt a slight breeze and was alone in the car. Soon he heard Jasper's mind shut off, then he and Alice were gone.

_Come in, Edward._

Hearing the command of his father's thoughts, Edward hesitated. He knew he owed Carlisle and everyone an explanation; they were all terribly worried for him regardless of the stupidity they accused him of. Alice gave little clarification when she fled to help him so none of them knew much besides hearing of the grisly bank robbery-turned-murder scene on the national news.

But Edward didn't go in immediately. He could barely make sense of any of it himself. He ran a shaky hand through his thick hair then let it slide down his face. Another human gesture that he was growing accustomed to. He got out of the car and sprinted into the wooded area that lined his family's property. His throat burned as all the vital signs of wildlife, blood pumping through organs and labored breaths of galloping deer that lived around him hit him from all directions. He would hunt now, and hopefully the painful scorch of his thirst would subside.

But hours later, as the sun finally began to sink into the horizon, he had drained three full-grown bucks dry and the pangs of desire were still present. His scarlet hunger pulsating from within wasn't caused by thirst or the need to sustain himself—it was solely a craving for the creamy skin and wide brown eyes of the girl who had caused this all. He suddenly grew agitated, crouching at the stream to wash off his mud-caked hands. Her scent was stronger now that he was home in Forks instead of in Seattle where it surrounded him. He was hundreds of miles away from the girl, why was it that he could almost taste her aroma on his tongue? Almost like a smell he couldn't beat off his clothes, her scent was enduring. She was everywhere, the warm feel of her cheek still tingling on his finger when he wiped her tears on the floor in the bank. He couldn't read the look in her glistening eyes as she relinquished the envelope of cash in her hands to the robber. Most people in her situation would happily give an attacker whatever they wished out of fear. But she had seriously considered keeping the money, he was almost sure of it.

His body snapped up in one swift movement. He was _almost sure_ of it? And then he remembered. "I can't read her mind." Spinning on the heels of his boots, he raced back home, needing to speak to Carlisle more now than ever.

* * *

She willed herself to fall asleep again before the singing of the bluebirds perched on the branches of the tree outside her window began their morning songs. The lavender-tinted light of the dawn crept in through the sides of her curtains and she sighed deeply. She was beyond tired, her mind racing non-stop for the last 24 hours. She shifted her position in bed, flipping over to her stomach and closed her eyes. Sleep had eluded her almost the entire night. Moments when she would slip suddenly into a light slumber, she would see a flash of the blonde robber's face and then be startled right back to consciousness.

The last time she closed her eyes and went under, she was in the backseat of an SUV that was on its way to her certain death.

The blankets smelled of her father's house and held no trace of fabric softener or any hint that they were freshly washed. A small pang of guilt overcame her as she realized her father never had a reason to wash the guest sheets since he never had any visitors. Even though the distance between them was significantly closer ever since she relocated to Seattle, she never thought to travel out of her way to visit him. But here he was, at the drop of a hat, to come to her aid. She knew that it was a father's job to care for his children, but she still felt like she was asking so much.

The only child of Charlie Swan, Bella was sure she had disappointed him. Tears filled her eyes and she let them seep out of her closed lids. Her fists balled as she cursed herself again for feeling like a victim. She wasn't in danger anymore; she was in the safety of her father's home, far from place where she almost met her end.

"I'm okay," she murmured aloud. She repeated it over and over as she clenched her eyelids tight. "I'm okay. I'm okay…" She clamped her mouth shut when his name was suddenly at the tip of her tongue. The very person she had tried not to think about since Detective Harris mentioned him during the last round of questioning at the station.

_Edward Cullen_.

His stare had been on her the minute she walked into the bank. Bella could feel it, the calculating and frigid stare as it nipped at her senses until she locked eyes with him. She vividly recalled the sense of being watched—no, hunted, before returning his gaze. She knew nothing of the beautiful man with porcelain skin and severe eyes, but if Detective Harris could have gotten her to describe him in one word, she would have said: predatory.

After everything, Bella wasn't sure why she harbored her conversation with Edward like a fugitive, clamming up when the detective mentioned his name. She felt like it was private, the connection of their eyes, the subtle yet possessive hold on her without physically touching her, that is, until he wiped her tears. His touch was cold but left a tingling, fiery sensation on her cheek, like mint on the tongue.

Who was this man? Why did she feel like she owed her life to him? For surely if he had killed the men in the alley like the police suspected him of doing, then he left her alive on his own accord.

As Bella turned once again in her bed, willing sleep to come, she wondered if knowing that he had so preciously held her life in his hands left her comforted or terrified.

* * *

Carlisle heard his son crash through the woods as he sat behind his large desk and immediately relaxed. He gave one last look at the muted flat screen television mounted on the west wall of his study and looked up when he heard Edward knock softly on the closed door. "Come in, son."

Edward entered swiftly and closed the door behind him. Living in a house with six other super-hearing vampires besides himself, he knew that even a closed door would garner no privacy, but he shut it anyway. "Carlisle, let me explain."

"Of course," Carlisle interrupted. "But first, and more importantly, Edward, are you okay?"

The question threw Edward off momentarily. He was indestructible and in full control of his faculties, so he wasn't sure he understood what his father was asking him. "I'm unharmed."

"I know," Carlise said. "I just…you took on a big responsibility today. You killed four men and did little to cover your tracks." It was left unsaid that Alice was there to help him 'clean up', as she so eloquently put it, but Edward just listened. "It's unlike you to get so…involved."

"I take it Alice didn't explain everything to you yet." Edward's eyes met the floor. "There was a girl." He stopped, unable to put into words exactly what he was trying to say. "A _human_ that needed…protecting." He looked up at the muted television and saw the ticker along the bottom of the screen flash a news alert about the Seattle Bank robbery. He shook his head before admitting, "And I could have protected her without killing those men and without risking exposure." He paused again and anger flared across features as Carlisle remained silent, willing him with his thoughts to go on. "I hate that I've disrupted the peace we have here…"

"Edward," Carlisle protested, holding one hand up. "No decisions have been made yet. Alice and I are going to stay on this. We will make necessary trips to Seattle and back in order to see how far the investigation goes."

"But they know my name, my account information…"

"Our account holds no personal information of merit," Carlisle shook his head. "The addresses, phone numbers, everything is traced to P.O. Boxes or locations that are nowhere near Forks."

"I know you're trying to make me feel better, Carlisle," Edward said quietly, his eyes finally rising to meet the elder Cullen's stare. "But honestly, I don't know if anything can." The younger Cullen rose from his seat and began to pace the length of the study, a strange feeling of fatigue washing over him. Vampires didn't sleep, but Edward felt he could have used the rest, at least for his mind to shut off for a little while.

Carlisle watched him in silence. He knew better than to push Edward, a century-old soul forever immortalized in the body of a 17 year-old boy. He felt so much responsibility all of the time and never went easy on himself for making the smallest of mistakes. Carlisle knew this particular situation wasn't a small mistake by any means, but he had faith that there was a reason for this fault. He spoke to Edward with his mind.

_I know there's more, Edward. Trust in me as I trust in you. What happened yesterday in Seattle?_

After a long moment of silence, Edward began. "Her name is Bella Swan."

The television continued to flash news alerts along the bottom as Carlisle listened to his son, their backs turned to screen while the media's newly released pictures from surveillance cameras outside of a sandwich shop showed Edward entering the bank yesterday afternoon.

* * *

Bella finally fell into a fitful sleep punctuated by dreams. They started out ordinary and hardly dreamlike at all: a memory of the Sunday night shift she covered earlier that week where she spilled a tray of soda along the front of her uniform, a late night ice cream run to the local soft serve place around the corner of her apartment. It wasn't until the rain began to pound on her windowsill in a constant, loud staccato did the noises of reality creep into her subconscious and the nightmares began.

_A crack of thunder whipped outside the room in her father's house where she slept, and at that moment in her dream, the blonde robber opened fire and sprayed every patron in the bank with an array of bullets. In the dream, she moaned in horror as she hit the ground to cover herself, a pool of blood gushing towards her as the blonde robber laughed and called her name. _

"_Bellaaaa…" he sang, sloshing through the blood as he searched for her among the dead bodies. Suddenly, the blood stopped flowing and froze around her as the temperature dropped. She heard a quick padding of feet and the soft cracks of ice under pressure, and she gazed up in time to see a pale, beautiful man with wide, frenzied eyes the color of freshly spilt blood and skin the color of snow as he rushed towards the blonde robber. An inhuman growl erupted from his throat as he charged at the gunman. _

_Bella closed her eyes and heard a gasp, a gurgle, then nothing. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a forest, looking up at her father's house, staring at the left window on the second floor of the house, her window, and she saw the curtain flutter from the inside. She felt her lips stretch into a feral grin and she swallowed once. She was hunting. _

The sudden knock on her door caused her to fling her body forward, her eyes fluttering open as she let her eyes adjust to the dark. Her breathing was even, but she was covered in sweat, her sheets sticking to her legs and her mouth dry as a bone. If she didn't get a glass of water soon, she would pass out from dehydration in this very bed. The knock sounded again and this time the knob turned. Bella's eyes flitted to the door as Charlie shuffled in. "Bells, I'm sorry to wake you, but I've got your mom on the phone." He did a once over on Bella's sweaty face and handed her the cordless receiver. "You've been asleep for 18 hours straight, I feel like your mom needed to know. This thing...it's all over the news."

Bella nodded at her dad and took the phone gingerly, her arm sore as she raised it. "Dad," she whispered hoarsely. "Water…please."

"Of course, baby," Charlie nodded and hurried downstairs to grab a few water bottles. Bella heard her mother screaming and sobbing, so she put the phone to her ear and took a few breaths, shaking the image of her watching her own father's house with such a savage anticipation out of her head, then weakly greeted her mom.

After an hour on the phone swearing to Renee that she was fine, and no, she was not moving home to Arizona, Bella begged her mother to let her off the phone so she could continue to guzzle down the remainder of the three water bottles Charlie left on her bed, then peel herself from the sheets to take another shower. Apparently she had slept the entire day and night, but Bella felt as though she had been up for weeks. Her dreams were obviously unsettling, but made no sense. She obviously allowed her suspicions of Edward murdering the robbers to blemish her dreams, but why was she staking out her own house in the woods? She was giving herself goose bumps as she stood under the warm water in the tub as she remembered how she felt in her dream, standing amongst the trees in the dark and watching the disturbance of the curtain at her bedroom window from the outside. She thought for a moment longer, remembering how strong and predatory she felt while watching the house. Her breath caught in her throat.

Predatory. The one word she would have used to describe the man who wiped her tear while they lay on the floor of the bank.

Her teeth chattered as she stopped the water and hastily dried herself with the same towel she used yesterday. She rushed to her room, the towel now wrapped around her slender, shaky frame as she approached her bedroom window. _You're crazy, Bella, _she tried to reason with herself. _You're going to look out this window and see nothing._ Grasping the curtain in her hand, she pulled it back slightly and squinted through the rain. The road in front of her house was empty and the rain water was rushing down the pavement like a wild river. Just beyond the road was the line of trees where the forest began. She narrowed her eyes and held her breath, scanning the hedge for any sign of a peeping tom or an intruder or anything that would signal that she was in danger.

She saw nothing. And what was she really expecting? As far as she was concerned, there were two Edward Cullen's. The pale, frantic monster with red eyes attacking the blonde robber in her nightmare, a perception courtesy of the Seattle detectives that got into Bella's head, and then there was the gentle, evanescent, beautiful man who promised to take care of her during the robbery, but was long gone after the police arrived.

Which one was she expecting to be standing outside her window?

She huffed in annoyance and was about to pull the curtain back in place when something white flitted between the trees, catching her eye. Her heart began to gallop in her chest, beating against her rib cage like it was attempting to escape. Her mouth dropped open and her tongue almost vibrated from the pounding. She saw something. She wasn't crazy, she know she did. She leaned in, her eyes straining to see but the rain just fell harder and the sky had grown darker. Bella's forehead was pressed against the glass when the flash of lightening suddenly sprawled across the sky, and illuminated the moving object in the trees again.

The sound of the booming thunder drowned out Bella's petrified scream.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: First and foremost—I'm sorry about the delay. I had emergency surgery last week and have just found some energy to sit up at the computer and write. I'm recovering nicely and should be back to updating regularly in no time. **

**Second—You guys! All the reviews/favorites/follows/PM's and recommendations to your friends about this story on Facebook are making my heart soar! I know this chapter isn't too long, but more is in the works, I promise. Thank you. :]**

"Soon as I heard her last name at the police station, I started thinking…"

"He lives here?"

"Yes, bear right."

The two vampires leaped between the trees, the puddles from the rain barely disturbed from their swift movements. Alice watched her partner as he gained speed and ran ahead. She kept both eyes on his strong back and the third eye in her mind on Edward. She had long since powered off her phone, refusing to speak to him or to anyone that would change her mind.

"That house, there?" Jasper asked, pointing one arm from under the rain at the white house at the top of the hill. A police cruiser was parked in the driveway and the road at the end of the lawn was beginning to flood with water. Alice came to a stop with her partner and nodded. Jasper took a deep breath as he tried to survey his surroundings. "Her father lives here, what are the odds?"

"So it must be done," Alice muttered. The roar of the rain did not make it hard for Jasper to hear her voice. "I don't see another way." She meant that in more ways than one. It was nearly impossible for Alice to think of anything but what she was so focused on in that car ride home with Edward. The girl, Bella, complicated everything in Edward's future and it frightened Alice. She couldn't see anything past what was happening right now, and this led her to believe that Bella would be the end of her brother. Now that the police were looking for him, she couldn't afford to risk the safety of her, Jasper, or anyone else in the family on the off chance that Bella would spill any details about Edward that would lead them to exposure.

Alice's visions had always come easier for people she knew personally, so when she tried to stare into the future of Bella Swan, she was met with a frustrating static that hurt her head. It was an implausible possibility that a human girl could cause such a disturbance in what was considered a fairly smooth existence for the Cullens, but Alice would not risk it. When Edward parked the car, she found Jasper waiting for her. She breathed her fears to him in a whisper and they were off before Edward could know. She felt a surge of emotion where her heart used to beat at the left of her chest. The man by her side would follow her anywhere, and she would do the same for him. She would not risk what they had for some girl of no importance…

Jasper's jaw clenched as he sniffed again. "Edward said her scent was unlike anything else? I think I can smell her. And I know what he means."

"Yes." Alice's breathing sped up. The two vampires gave each other one long, meaningful look before continuing forward. Alice tensed suddenly and grabbed Jasper's arm.

"_I need your help Alice," Bella called, grinning. She held a white, silk dress against her body and did an awkward twirl. "You know I'm helpless with this fashion stuff…" _

Jasper was unaware of Alice's hesitance and began to formulate ways to pull this off.

"_Don't be an idiot, Edward," Alice chastised her brother as he paced before her, pulling his hair with both hands. "You must change her for her own safety, or I'll do it myself!"_

"We could make it look like a break in, unfortunately we'd have to kill the chief, too," Jasper suggested.

"_You're my best friend," Bella embraced Alice. "My sister." Alice felt a warm feeling of joy spread throughout her stone-like body and she released the girl, holding her at arm's length so she could stare into Bella's bright red, bloody eyes._

When Alice didn't reply, Jasper stopped and grabbed her by the elbows, moving her behind a large tree so that they were hidden from view. "What is it?" Alice's face had gone blank, and her eyes were staring straight at him, though they were focused on something far away. He knew that a vision had approached her, and he rubbed his hands down her forearms until he met her palms with his. "What do you see?"

"I finally see," Alice uttered. Bella's scent hit her just as fast as it did Jasper, and being just yards away from the girl had awoken something in Alice so quickly, she felt as if she were hit by a force of an oncoming truck. No sooner did her knees begin to buckle did Jasper hold her upright, worry flashing across his face. "I see her and I see Edward…"

Jasper waited patiently for Alice to finish making sense. He absentmindedly leaned to the side, peering around the tree and saw movement from the top story window. His own eyes met with a pair of dark brown pupils dilating at the sight of him. He emitted a soft growl as the girl from behind the curtain began to shriek.

Caught.

* * *

"Alice, call me." Edward ended the phone call on his iPhone and watched the forest. It had been a whole day and two horrendous rain storms since he had last seen his sister or Jasper. He couldn't hear their thoughts, and he was really casting his mind out as far as he could. This meant they were gone, and their trail had long since cleared, so following them was out of the question.

Especially because every time he inhaled, his throat burned with a raging desire.

_Bella._

He could smell her still, almost taste her like a drop on the tip of his tongue. Why could he not shake his senses of her? It was like she was right next to him, breathing in and out, her delicate neck extending before him. And the winds from the storm did nothing to wash away her scent. If anything, it was stronger.

"Alice still isn't picking up?"

Carlisle's voice behind Edward snuck up on him, his mind already so taught on listening for Alice, and he whipped around in surprise. He shook his head at his father and then closed his eyes tight, willing the girl's scent to leave him in peace.

"Edward," Carlisle said and took a step closer to his son.

"I need answers," Edward whispered. He clenched his fists and heard a crunch. His iPhone was still in his right hand and the pieces trickled from his fingers and onto the mud of the forest floor. "Alice and Jasper have been gone for far too long…I can't help but feel surrounded by _her_ scent."

_You didn't…_

"No!" Edward barked, then immediately took a step away from Carlisle, further into the forest behind him. He answered Carlisle's silent question. "I didn't taste her. That is why I don't understand why I can still _feel_ her, like she's dancing under my skin…"

"Okay," Carlisle nodded. He brought his arms down to his side and looked over Edward's shoulder. The trees were still in the midnight hour and even the wildlife had taken shelter. Another storm would be along soon. "I'm going to Seattle to monitor the situation more closely. Since your face is on the news now…"

"I'll be gone by morning."

"No." It was Carlisle's turn to bark. He willed Edward to look in his eyes before he continued. "If anyone leaves, we all do. Let me see what evidence is piling in Seattle, and if you can just stay low here in Forks, when I return we can decide what to do then." He watched Edward's face crumple in despair. "You haven't put any of us at risk, Edward. We are stronger in numbers. And although I don't have the answers right now, I'm more than sure that's where Alice and Jasper went, to get answers."

Edward gave his father one last look. "Okay." He scanned the trees and felt Carlisle relax behind him. With his thoughts, he told Edward he'd leave now and be back soon. His thoughts faded the further he got, and finally Edward was alone again. He looked down at his body. Dressed in dark blue jeans and a black thermal long-sleeved shirt, his skin was blindingly white by comparison to the dark that surrounded him. What he wasn't telling Carlisle was with the scent of Bella still lingering around him, he was slowly losing the will to resist. He had half the mind to give into the frenzy and follow the aroma back to Seattle and end this suffering once and for all. He inhaled again, the tendons in his neck shifting and the muscles in his body tensing. He couldn't wait for Alice, Jasper, or even Carlisle.

It would end tonight. He exhaled and began to follow the scent that had been consuming him.

* * *

Charlie trudged around in the rain outside for 20 minutes straight, pistol on his hip at the ready and a large utility flashlight's bright beam darting from tree to tree. He didn't grab a jacket so the chill in the air caused him to shudder. His visibility was severely hampered, but the rapid heart beat in his chest kept him focused. He leaned against the soaked, moss-covered trunk of a towering tree thick with foliage that shielded him slightly from the downpour then looked over his shoulder to his house behind him. The porch light was dimly lit behind the heavy curtain of rain and smog, and inside was his screaming daughter. He sighed heavily, took one last look around him, and then jogged back to the front porch. He slowed as the accumulated rain water rushed past him, still watchful as he checked his left and right flank and continued on.

When he reached his door and turned the knob, it didn't budge. He pounded a closed fist on the wooden frame and called his daughter's name. "Bella, honey? It's Dad. Open up." The rain continued to roar behind him and a crack of thunder passed. "Bella!" His heart beat sped up, but then he heard the inside chain unlatch and felt the knob turn in his palm as Bella opened the door and stared at her father with a blank expression on her heart-shaped face. He gently nudged her back as he stepped in and shut the door behind him, wiping the rain from his face with both hands. "I didn't see anyone, honey."

"I'm sorry," Bella croaked suddenly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I just thought…"

"Shh," Charlie interrupted her, gathered her in his own arms, and hugged her tight. "It's okay, you're okay. You did the right thing, telling me." He smoothed the tangled hair at the top of Bella's head and rested his cheek there. His heart surged forward as his own emotions started to bubble up inside of him, resting at the base of his throat. In a million years, Charlie wasn't sure he'd ever be able rid from his memory the sight of his 19 year-old daughter in a heap on the floor, a large towel covering her body as she lay in fetal position, her arms covering her head while she screamed his name over and over until he could shake her out of her stupor. He let the girl cry softly in his arms as he wished on everything holy and unholy it had been him at the bank instead of her, or that anything could have prevented her from walking into that damned place. He hadn't seen his daughter in so long and this was hardly the homecoming he wanted for her. But Charlie would make the best of this situation, because that's what he did; he played the cards he was dealt because he never got a say in it otherwise.

He gazed down after he felt Bella begin to shake. He took a step back and rubbed his hands up and down hers, trying to warm her up. Relief flooded him as he realized she had taken the opportunity to dress in black hoodie and oversized pair of gray sweatpants while he had been outside searching for the voyeur Bella had claimed to see peering back at her from the rain. He didn't hesitate to grab his loaded gun and rush out into the rain, even if he wasn't 100% sure that Bella was in her right state of mind. How could she have seen someone from the second story standing in the middle of a rainstorm at dusk? Unwilling to take the chance, he searched the perimeter without results, and he would stay vigilant all night.

"Let's get you back up—" Charlie began but stopped when Bella's tear-filled, bloodshot eyes widened in fear.

"Will you be here all night?" Bella asked, motioning to the living room where Charlie had been watching a baseball game earlier before her screams began.

"Yes," Charlie said, nodding. "I'll be downstairs all night, keeping watch."

"Can…can I stay with you down here?" Bella's voice was small, meek, and it broke Charlie's heart. But he just nodded again, giving her an encouraging smile.

"'Course. I'll get you some blankets and a pillow." He guided her to the couch and watched her fold her skinny legs beneath her while she fixed her eyes on the television. He handed her the remote. "Change it to whatever you want. Be back in 10 seconds." Giving her one last look-over, he turned on his heels and took the staircase two at a time to fetch her blankets.

The pounding of the thick Washington rain never slowed as it pummeled the roof mercilessly and drowned out the creaks of the old house. Bella settled back into the green velvet couch, absently rubbing her thumb over the UP button on the remote, and the still pictures of the surveillance video flashed across the screen, illuminating her face as she stared, still expressionless, at the image of Edward Cullen entering the bank.

* * *

Edward felt more alive than ever as he gave into his baser instincts, allowing his thirst to lead him to his final destination. A part of him tried desperately to hold onto the feeling he had when he first saw the girl. How delicate her skin was as it blushed with pink under his stare, her tear-filled eyes when she lied on the floor next to him, her quick breath sweet and soft on his face, and how fiercely he wanted to preserve her life although he had no inkling of who she was and why she was in his life now, so completely. He wanted to stop running, to make his legs quit working at that very instant, but it was out of his control now. He was so confused by his senses and his will that it was a few minutes of crashing through the trees of his family's property that he realized he was not turning towards the house so that he could get in his car and drive to Seattle. The girl's scent was steering him south, down the stream where a small pack of mountain lions were lapping water. He raced passed them, heard their startled hisses in his wake.

When he reached the main interstate he was in complete disarray. Why was her scent gaining strength in this region of his town?

_Edward, stop._

Only the stern voice of his sister that he had been trying to get ahold of for hours could stop him in his tracks. He leaned against a boulder and his breath came in ragged. He was momentarily broken from his trance and he squinted in the rain that had begun to fall again. "Alice?"

* * *

Bella once heard that dreams were color-less. But in her subconscious, she was surrounded by vibrant colors, and it horrified her. Everything that wasn't white was alarming. Sprawled on the green floor of the forest, surrounded by brown tree trunks and purple and blue flowers, bright red berries, she was terrified until she looked up and saw him, a pale beacon of light, reaching for her.

Or sometimes she dreamed she was staring at four bare, yellow, padded walls, like the room she was confined in when the police questioned her for 12 hours. She was trapped like a caged animal, her chest heaving as she cried for help. Then the snow-colored skin of a predator would materialize and his arms would rise, welcoming her to him.

Every night, colors gave her a prickling sensation of fear, the cold, clenching grip of terms that harm was coming her way. And every night like clockwork, she would writhe in terror until he arrived to illuminate her nightmares and turn them into dreams, calming her like a lullaby.

When she was awake, colors were dull. She was losing the sensation of taste and touch. And she was indifferent to reality. She was always anxious to get back to sleep because at least she felt alive when she could see his white hands reaching for her, trying to grab her and pull her to him.

She had come to terms that she imagined what she saw in the woods and that it would have been impossible through the thick sheet of rain to see anything. Maybe she was _hoping _to see something, so her brain fabricated the first thing it could muster. Though whatever pale being she _thought _she saw in the woods had frightened her to her core, she wasn't afraid of those ashen, muscular limbs that reached for her every night when she was deeply asleep. The arms that belonged to the tall, lean body of a man with a beautiful face, carved by the gods with blood-red eyes that sat on high cheekbones and a strong jaw that hosted rosy lips with her name upon them.

_Bella._


	6. Chapter 6

The three vampires were still, like magnificent statues erected in the middle of a forest. While the rain fell lightly upon their clothes and on their skin and hair, they remained steady and unhampered by the elements.

Alice and Jasper remained silent, their thoughts directed towards their younger brother who faced away from both of them. Ever since Alice explained her vision to Jasper and they aborted their plans to kill Bella and Chief Swan, a sense of euphoria overcame her. She felt light as air, happy, optimistic of the future. Bella and Alice would be great friends in the near future if everything went her way. It was a peculiar feeling of overwhelming affection that was only matched by the vision she had of Jasper just before she met him in that diner almost 80 years ago. Of course, in that vision, she had finally pictured the love of her _after_life, and it was like the puzzle was complete. Everything clicked and there was no other life except one with Jasper Hale. The sudden affection she felt for Bella was like the innocent and endearing excitement felt by a child who is told they were soon going to be a big brother or sister. Alice could not wait to welcome Bella into her arms.

Of course, these new additions to the life of the Cullens would be met with resistance. While Jasper was initially off-put and slightly outraged by Alice's vision, he was unwilling to harm the girl if Alice loved her so. They left the Swan residence at once, racing around the tree line as a new vision crept into Alice's all-seeing mind. She had cried out in protest and told Jasper that they had to meet Edward at once and head him off before the aroma of Bella's blood led him to her home.

Minutes later, they picked up Edward's scent. Her inner voice commanded her brother to stop in his tracks until her and Jasper could catch up to him. She was relieved to see that he had listened when the pair found Edward beneath a small cliff, clinging to the rocks behind him so hard that they began to crumple beneath his grip. His eyes were black as midnight and wide with confusion. He focused on the silhouette of Alice and Jasper advancing on him slowly as Alice allowed him access into her visions: Bella smiling up at Edward and admiring him as they held hands, Alice and Bella with their heads lowered toward each other as they spoke intimately like family, and finally Bella writhing in pain on a large bed as venom slowly iced her veins and sealed off while she transformed into one of them.

Edward howled in protest as Alice and Jasper flitted to his side. Just the visions were too much for his senses; he felt caged and wild all at once, pushing and pulling against what he craved and what he refused to succumb to. After awhile, his howls subsided and he remained motionless as his siblings stood beside him. They allowed him complete silence so that he could come to terms with Alice's visions.

Finally, Edward spoke. "I can't do it." He finally met Alice's eye and shook his head from side to side. "I can't possibly invite this girl into our life. And more importantly, changing her into one of us would be murder. I might as well have let the robbers taken her."

Alice kept her remarks to herself. Of course Edward could change her. Silly vampire who had known her for the better part of the century and still doubted her abilities. Though Alice's visions were subjective and changed as quickly as a person changed their mind, they were never wrong or faulty. As long as Edward desired Bella, their future together was impenetrable. She risked a glance at Jasper who had hardened visibly at the thought of a human entering his existence. Alice had assured him that Bella and he would be good friends, too, to no avail. She figured it was a battle she would deal with later, as the entire family would soon take to her. She focused back on Edward who was still shaking his head sadly. "Edward, you can do it. You've seen it from my very mind."

"I am a monster," Edward said, his voice flat. "She would never willingly come to me, fall in love with me."

Alice sighed and spoke with her mind. _That connection you tried to explain to me when all of this began, the tether to her that you feel, it didn't make sense before. But now it does. You are destined for each other. _

Edward continued to shake his head. "With my picture all over the news, I couldn't possibly just walk up to her front door, ring the bell and ask her out on a date, Alice. And if I should try to tell her that we're destined to be together? This is madness."

"I think we're all forgetting something here," Jasper finally chimed in. "Her scent. It's strong enough to nearly knock me off my feet but to Edward, it is the very thing that sings to him. It's too dangerous to try and get close to her, he'd kill her."

"No," Alice said firmly. "I love her." She willed Edward to meet her eyes. "_You_ love her."

"Alice," Edward groaned. If he could feel anything at all, it'd be his insides tearing in half. It absolutely pained him to know that Bella's scent, still burning his throat with every breath he took, was what drew him most to her, and ultimately could be the end of her. Just before he had ran into Alice and Jasper, he had been on his way to snuff out Bella's life because of the effect her blood had on him. It turned him into a frantic animal. "I do desire her, but I can't get close to her without the chance of ending her life. How could we possibly be destined to be together?"

"I don't know," Alice answered. "But you have chosen her. You controlled yourself once, didn't you?" She took a step closer to Edward as he hung his head. "You were in the middle of a rage, murdering four men, when your lust for blood was at its peak. Then you came across Bella, defenseless and up for the taking in the back seat of that truck. But you let her live." She looked back at Jasper as he rolled his eyes, not in sarcasm but in hopelessness. "Jasper, she belongs to all of us."

Edward looked up at Alice and Jasper in despair. Not so long ago, his sister had been adamant about separating himself from the girl and the robbery. The risk of exposure was still great, yet here Alice was, prancing about like a child, singing the praises of a sister whom she had not even met, but was completely devoted to. It was apparently up to Edward to complete Alice's happiness and introduce the girl into their world. The thought of Bella by his side as she was pictured in Alice's visions caused a small flutter deep down inside him as he wondered if this was the first time in his existence that perhaps, he could be happy, too.

"Come on," Alice said, smiling as she took Edward's hand. "Let's go home and wait for Carlisle to come home, then tell him the good news. We have much planning to do."

* * *

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too." Bella hung up her cell phone and placed it on the kitchen table. Charlie sat across from her, slowly sipping a light beer. She sighed and met his eyes. "That was the restaurant in Seattle. They fired me."

"That so?"

"Yeah, but it's okay." She smoothed a stray strand of her dark, auburn hair behind her ear and tilted her head to the side. "They just needed more staff and I wasn't there."

"Bella," Charlie said softly and set his beer down. "I really meant it when I said you should stay here with me."

Bella's eyes wandered to the kitchen window as the rain continued to fall. It had been two solid days since the terrifying night when she thought she saw someone watching her from the forest and she hadn't gotten much sleep. She continued to stay on the couch in the living room, silently enjoying her father's company as he kept vigil in an armchair near the front door. She had asked him to go upstairs and sleep in his bed for a change, but he refused to leave her side, especially after they both saw the images of Edward Cullen on the television. A wanted man.

"I know, Dad. And I appreciate the offer, but I'm 19 years-old and I kinda need to just take care of myself." Even as the last part of her sentence left her mouth, she didn't feel very convincing. Charlie had seen a raw, vulnerable and clingy side of Bella the last few days she had spent in his house, and even though she shouldn't be embarrassed of her father seeing her break down, she was.

"I'm not trying to treat you like a child," Charlie protested, pushing his beer away and clasped his hands in front of him on the table. "Just hang out here, away from the big city, and relax. You might like the change of pace." He chewed on his bottom lip and followed his daughter's gaze out the window. She wondered if he'd say what they were both thinking. Edward was still at large, probably in Seattle. That's the last place either of them wanted her to be.

After a few silent moments, Bella tore her eyes away from the light rain falling from the gray afternoon sky and let them rest on her dad. He was wearing one of his signature red, flannel long-sleeved shirts with a gray t-shirt beneath and a simple pair of jeans. His boots were always muddy, untied, and his hair was always ruffled but clean. He was the quintessential, middle-aged bachelor and Bella felt a string tug at her heart. The kitchen was dull and showed little-to-no sign of regular use and suddenly she tried to see a life with her dad would be like. She surely couldn't stay here forever. But for as long as the nightmares came for her and the overwhelming feeling of always being watched haunted her, Bella couldn't think of any reason to leave. She scratched a dry spot on the kitchen table with her short fingernail and exhaled. "I'd have to get a job."

Charlie's posture immediately straightened and he faced Bella. "There's a diner in town that has a 'Now Hiring' sign up in the front. It's my favorite place to go because it's only about 2 miles from here, straight down the hill."

"I don't know if I want to be a waitress forever." Bella smirked at her dad as a grin spread across his face. "But I can check it out." She paused before adding. "And I'd need a car."

"We can go shopping today."

"Nothing expensive, just something that will pull me around this small town for a while, until I can back on my feet and move on."

"I can get those boxes moved out of your room right away." Charlie was visibly relaxed in his chair as the plans of having his kid home for the first time in over a decade flashed in his mind.

"Don't go out of your way, Dad," Bella said as she shook her head in protest. "I don't want to put you out…" She paused when Charlie's hand covered hers in a rare gesture of contact. She was like her father in a lot of ways, being that they never got close to anyone, physically or emotionally. She could happily float around people her whole life without displaying any kid of emotion like as if she was in a bubble, and she knew her father felt the same way. She met his eyes as he smiled at her.

"You're not putting me out, kiddo. I'm very happy that you're going to be here, so I want you to be as comfortable as possible in this house." He patted her hand and released his hold, grabbing his abandoned beer and took a quick swig. "I know a friend who's selling an old truck with a newly restored engine that he's been waiting to get off his hands for a few months. I'll give him a call and see what he's asking for it."

Bella nodded gratefully and sat back in her chair, also visibly more relaxed than she had been in days. They sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Bella excused herself. She needed a few minutes alone as the realization that she was leaving Seattle hit her. She trudged up the stairs and down the upstairs hallway until she got to her bedroom door. She took a deep breath and turned the knob, slowly entering the vacant room. Not having been up there for a few days, she shook the feeling of unease and sat on her bed. She couldn't keep washing the same pair of jeans over and over and borrow old sweatshirts from her dad, so at some point she'd have to go shopping. Not much of a shopping enthusiast, she cringed slightly at the thought of having her dad drive her to the mall as she bought new clothes. The only other option was to head back to her apartment today to gather all of her things, but Bella knew she wasn't ready for that yet.

What was it that she was truly afraid of? As if answering her own question, she immediately turned her head and stared at the drapes on her window. The reasonable half of her brain was on constant alert and when a stray thought or memory of Edward Cullen bubbled to the surface, she would try to stifle it. She was scared of that man, this much was true. But the other half of her brain was curious and almost saddened by the fact that he wasn't by her side. When she really allowed her defenses to lower and thought back to the day of the bank robbery, Bella had a fond memory of the beautiful stranger. She was drawn to him, a force beyond her will. She almost felt herself longing for his touch or to hear his voice.

_What is wrong with you? _the reasonable side of her brain hollered. Though it hadn't been proven just yet, Edward was probably responsible for the grisly murders of four men.

_Men who were going to kill you, _the other side countered. Bella shivered as she realized she was trying to convince herself that rather than leaving her alive because he had run out of time, Edward had just done what he had to do to save her from a horrible fate. Her life, so feeble, had momentarily been in his cold, strong hands. She felt a wave of adrenaline rush through her as she pictured his eyes. In her dreams they had been red, like blood. If her memory served her right, Edward's eyes were dark black, almost empty. He truly was a specimen of which she had never encountered before.

Had she truly imagined a pale being watching her from the woods the other night, or could it have been him? Could he have followed her to the middle of nowhere, the town of Forks, and was he waiting for the right time to emerge?

_Impossible, _she reasoned with herself. She lied back on the unmade sheets of her bed, straightening her legs in front of her and crossing her arms behind her head. _Why would he be looking for me, anyway?_

* * *

The Teacup diner sat snugly in front of more forest right off the main road. It was the only restaurant for miles that was open 24 hours and was frequented during the graveyard shift mostly by truck drivers passing through the area or drunken teenagers looking for something to eat so that they could sober up before going home. Only one cook and one waitress were on hand between 11pm and 6am, but the one waitress quit due to a difficult pregnancy that made it hard for her to stay on her feet for so many hours. The manager strolled in at about 8 o'clock every morning and ran in and out until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. An older man with no real desire to own the Teacup for much longer, it was by chance that Bella walked into the diner just after the lunch rush and caught the manager before he left. She yanked on the door to the entrance twice before finally getting it to open and heard the proverbial bell signal her arrival. Two men with trucker hats and plump vests looked up from their coffee and steaks to give her a once over, and a few other patrons stared a little longer at the strange girl they hadn't seen before.

"Sit anywhere you'd like, hun." A sweet looking woman with white hair and a pink apron approached Bella. She had a menu tucked under her arm and she held one plate of over easy eggs in her free hand. "I'll be with you in a second."

"Thank you," Bella said quickly. "But I'm here for an application."

"Oh." the woman, who's nametag read 'Henrietta', frowned. "You wanna waitress? Here?"

Bella's face grew hot. She hoped this wasn't part of the interview. "Y-yes. I have a year of waiting experience and…"

"No," Henrietta interrupted her. "I'm not the ass you need to kiss. Sit right there in that booth and I'll grab the manager for you." She smiled as Bella's eyes widened at her crass language, then went to deliver the food in her hands. Bella faltered for a moment, then reminded herself that she really needed the money. The least she could do is pay for Charlie's gas, as he had taken it upon himself to drive to Seattle and pack up her stuff before hauling it back to Forks in his police cruiser. She assured him that nothing in the apartment was of value except her laptop and television, both of which would fit in the backseat of the car, as well as the clothes she owned and George Foreman grill she could not live without. The furniture was there when she moved in, so she didn't feel so guilty when Charlie left that morning. Finally, she eased into the red vinyl seats of the booth by the only cash register and waited.

"Hello," a gruff voice greeted her before the manager came into Bella's view. He held out his hand and Bella shook it with her own. "I'm Clyde, owner of the Teacup. I hear you're looking for work?"

"Yes," Bella replied and plastered on a smile that she hoped wasn't too fake. Clyde's old bones popped as he settled across from her into the booth. "I see that you're hiring a waiter and I'm an experienced server."

"Where do you stay?" Clyde asked. He eyed her carefully with his pale blue pupils. His bald head was shiny under the bright lights of the diner and his light skin was freckled with liver spots.

"I'm sorry?" Bella furrowed her eyebrows.

"Where...do you stay?"

"I live with my dad…"

"Whos'at?" Clyde asked briskly. The man was borderline nosy, and Bella was unsure that this line of questioning was necessary.

"Charlie Swan."

"Ah, the Chief," Clyde said knowingly, a small smile creeping across his face. "He comes here about 5 times a week, you know. But you wouldn't serve him, 'cause we need a waiter for the graveyard shift. He comes out here for dinner and is usually gone by eight."

Bella shifted in her seat. She hadn't so much as brought a resume, only stopping by today to hope for an application. She had to remember this town was extremely small, and if the vacant job wasn't filled by now, it probably meant that not many people had applied for it. "Graveyard shift?"

"Yeah," Clyde said as he scratched the side of his face. "I need you here by eleven at night until six in the morning. It'd only be you and the cook because not many people roll through here at that time a'night. The cook's a good boy, real big and strong so don't worry about any weirdos giving you a hard time at night. He's big enough to be a security guard. He lives on the reservation, works here at night."

"Clyde," Bella said carefully. "Are you saying that I'm hired?"

"Yeah," Clyde replied shortly. He could've said '_Duh_' and it would have held the same connotation. "The Chief's kid can't cause too much trouble, can she?" He didn't wait for her to answer before he rose from his seat and straightened his back. "Can you start tonight?"

Bella needed the job. But she was weary of working so late at night, especially after recent events had left her a little jumpy in the dark. But she couldn't allow her personal feelings to keep her from making a little money so she rose from her seat too and nodded. "Sure, I'll be here at eleven." She took Clyde's outstretched hand again and he gave her one last look over. "What should I wear?"

"Honey, you could wear a grass skirt and a poncho if you so please. I'm not gonna be here to care." And with that, he nodded and walked to the kitchen area, disappearing behind the large red door that swished shut behind him.

Bella sighed. She turned and caught Henrietta's eye as she poured coffee with one hand and gave her a thumbs-up with the other. Bella felt herself smile back and politely waved before ducking out of the diner and outside into the pleasantly cool air. The sky had been gray all day but the clouds were few and far between, so Bella had decided to walk to the diner in the absence of a car. She headed back up the hill to the house, suddenly wishing she had just waited until Charlie returned so that he could drive her. Though he had told her the diner was about 2 miles away, she was pleased to find out the walk seemed much shorter, so she focused on keeping her balance on the side of the road and watched for traffic. Part of her was relieved to have a job which would provide her some cash on the side, and maybe even some distraction from the nagging feeling of eyes constantly on her back. Soon, her house came into view and she smiled in gratitude. Somehow, she would be able to breathe easily again. The bank robbery had really taken something from her, if not just a sense of security. Bella was always very independent and self-reliant, but the events of the last few days had rendered her helpless. Determined to get back to her old self in a new town, she decided to make the best of her situation.

She skipped up the porch and forgot about the feeling of eyes watching her every move, even though, unbeknownst to her, the eyes were not far behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews and kind words. As for this story, I want to point out that I'm not trying to confuse anyone but there will be parts of Twilight that I will implement to maintain accuracy and some parts that I won't. (Obvious disclaimer: I did not write the Twilight Saga, nor do I own any rights to its characters). **

**My point is, if you don't recognize a character I introduce, it's because they're from my imagination and not created by Stephenie Meyer. But that's the fun of fan fiction; free reign to be creative and inventive. With that said, please enjoy this chapter! (Reviews appreciated as always ;])**

Owen's neatly trimmed fingers glided over the silver wall of compartments that encased the dead bodies. When he arrived at the last row, he counted to the third from the top compartment and paused. With one quick look back over his shoulder to sweep the empty morgue with his blood-red eyes, he yanked on the metal handle and pulled out the slab to reveal its contents. A black body bag zipped closed lied dormant before him and his hands hovered over it as he heard a pair of voices just outside the morgue doors. Two staff members of the medical examiner lingered for a few moments as they waited for the elevator to take them above ground to the main lobby of the hospital. When they were finally gone, he returned his gaze to the body bag and unzipped it.

"Nice work," he murmured. Letting out a low whistle, he studied the mangled body from head to toe: eyebrows permanently furrowed in a painful gesture, jaw slightly slack due to a broken mandible, throat severely crunched like a used up soda can. The skin at the base of the neck was still purple and yellow from bruising and the shoulder was void of sufficient skin to cover the entire collar bone which was slightly exposed. He took mental notes of the crumpled remains before zipping the bag closed again and pushing the body back into its compartment. Soon, he found the other three bodies in their separate compartments and took his time considering Edward Cullen's handiwork. When he finally got to the last body, he was met with a grisly picture that not even he was prepared for. And in his line of work in the field as a member of the Volturi, Owen saw unpleasant…situations…all the time. He pulled the zipper all the way down to the area where the dead man's legs were supposed to be. The only remaining parts of this body were the badly crushed torso and fragments of where limbs had once been. The head, full of platinum blonde hair that been stained with blood, had been crudely reattached, the surgical stitching still sticking out from the skin.

He touched along the stitching when the pads of his fingers came into contact with an area just under the earlobe that felt significantly cooler than the rest of the neck. He gingerly leaned the head to the left and found exactly what he had been looking for. A human who expires has skin that deadens and obviously grows cooler over time, especially this body that had been dead for several days. But what Owen saw before him he knew would be naked to the human eye. Right at the base of the man's neck was a faint silver arch that was undoubtedly colder than the rest of the skin that surrounded it.

"Nice work indeed."

* * *

Bella hadn't allowed the emptiness of the house to bother her much until the light in the sky had diminished. She was sure Charlie would be back at any minute so she tried to calm her nerves by picking up around the house and taking an early shower. Anything except watching the television. She had mistakenly caught a glimpse of the news again earlier that day while cleaning the living room and saw the news alert of the official manhunt for Edward Cullen that had expanded throughout the entire state of Washington. She felt her stomach churn and she shut the TV off, leaving the living room in the state it was in. It was late afternoon and the glare of the setting sun was dulled out by the incoming rain clouds. After taking her shower and setting out her clothes that she would wear for her first shift at the Teacup, Bella sat at the edge of her bed and brushed out the tangles in her wet hair while staring at the bare wall in her bedroom. Her thoughts roamed free as flashes of the robbery came to her as they usually did when her mind was idle. She shut her eyes and continued to brush, feeling the rough tug of her hair in knots and brushing them out thoroughly, not paying attention to the sting as some strands were ripped out.

She was startled by the sudden rumbling of an engine that was significantly louder than the usual muffled engine of the police cruiser pulling up in the driveway. She placed the hairbrush in her hand down on her dresser before walking to her bedroom window and pulling the curtain out of the way to investigate. Directly below her, an old truck with a faded-red paint job and a bubbly shape came to rest. Charlie's cruiser parked beside it and climbed out of his car, a big grin on his face as he greeted the older man that emerged from the truck. An eyebrow arched, Bella's interest peaked. She quickly dressed in the jeans and cream colored long-sleeved shirt that she had placed on her bed and headed downstairs to greet her father. When she opened the front door, the two men's loud voices met her and she couldn't help but smile a little at her father's laughter. He was in a good mood for the first time in days and she was already grateful to the man whose hand he was shaking for whatever he had done to cause this. She cleared her throat and her smile grew wider as Charlie turned towards her and gave her a happy grin. "Hey, Dad. What's up?"

"Bells!" Charlie waved her over to him and faced the long, gray-haired man with dark skin in front of him. "This is Harry Clearwater. I stopped by the reservation to see him on my way back from Seattle."

"Isabella," Harry greeted her and extended his hand. "I haven't seen you since you were a few months old."

Bella took his hand and shook it firmly while smiling at him politely. "Hello, Harry." She had recognized him as she studied his face; he one of three other men in the picture of Charlie holding up a big catch he reeled in somewhere on the Olympic Peninsula. The picture was taken almost a decade ago and the frame was one of the few pictures hanging on the wall in the living room, the rest being old pictures of Bella as a child.

"Harry here was kind enough to help me bring you your new truck," Charlie chirped happily. Bella turned her face towards him and her head tilted to the side.

"M-mine?" She turned again to peer at the beast of a truck that Harry was currently leaning on. "You bought that for me?" Her tone alarmed Charlie and his smile faltered for a moment.

"Do you not like it?" he asked quickly. "I knew we had talked about going to go shopping together for a car, but this is the truck that my friend Billy Black was selling, I told you about it, remember? It was a good price, but if you don't like it…" Charlie trailed off as he saw Bella slowly circle to the hood of the truck and place both of her hands on top of it. She met his eye with a beaming smile and he visibly relaxed.

"I don't like it, Dad. I love it!" Bella crowed. She continued to walk around the truck and kept one hand on the hard metal frame as her excitement grew. "It's so sturdy, and you said that the engine was new, right?"

"Brand spankin' new," Harry chimed in and gave a very relieved Charlie a thumbs up. "I helped Billy and his son restore the engine. She runs great, but you can't go over 70 miles per hour when you drive. She's not what she used to be."

"She has no reason to race over the speed limit anyway, right, Bella?" Charlie gave Harry a stern look before meeting his daughter's eye, a fleeting moment of fatherly protectiveness and his law enforcement duties passing over him.

Bella giggled, a sound she hadn't made in so long she forgot what it sounded like. She walked straight up to Charlie and wrapped one arm around his waist, tentatively laying her head on his chest. "Thanks, Dad. This means a lot to me." She felt him wrap his own arm around her shoulders and lightly squeeze, returning the embrace.

"You're welcome," he replied simply. When Bella let him go a few seconds later, he returned his focus to Harry. "You feel like helping me carry her TV inside before I drive you home?"

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds like I have no choice," Harry joked before opening the backdoor to Charlie's cruiser. Bella watched the two men yank out her heavy, box-like television that was nearly as old as she was and haul it into the house as the first hints of drizzle began to fall from the sky. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked one more time at her truck before allowing another smile to set on her lips. Knowing that her belongings from her apartment were now back with her and she even had a new car to call her own allowed Bella to finally feel like she was at home, perhaps a step closer to finally feeling like her old self again. She sighed and reached into the backseat of the cruiser to begin pulling trash bags full of her clothes that Charlie hastily put together to bring back to her.

She grabbed a few bags and placed them on the ground before she straightened her posture, suddenly feeling uneasy. There was that sensation again, like she wasn't alone. Before she could decide to ignore it, she heard a low hiss that made the small hairs on her arm stand up in fright, and a rustling noise not far from where she stood. Her heart stopped beating for a full second as she peered over the roof of the cruiser. She cast out her nervous eyes and watched for any movement all around her, staring through the light drizzle that had not yet turned into a full-out downpour. She studied the tree line directly in front of her house but saw nothing out of place. She felt a lump rise in her throat as she chastised herself for being so weak moments after feeling like she was finally beginning to feel normal again. She leaned into the cruiser again to pull out more bags but froze when she heard something move behind her and felt fingers brush along her hand.

"No!" Bella shrieked and before she knew what she was doing, she scrambled backward into the open seat of Charlie's cruiser.

"Bella," a voice said with a hint of alarm. "It's me!"

Bella saw the dark, wrinkly hand of Harry Clearwater come toward her with the palm facing upward before his face appeared as he bent at the waist to look at her with concern. "Harry, oh, my God. I'm so sorry…" She felt the burn of embarrassment on her skin begin to crawl up her neck and reach her ears. "I didn't hear you come up behind me."

"Bella, I know what you've been through. Don't apologize," Harry said softly, his hand still outstretched to her. She took it slowly and he helped pull her out of the car. "I'm sorry that I snuck up on you, I was just trying to grab the bags for you."

"No, I know," Bella croaked as she held back tears. "I'm sorry, I'm just not myself lately." She heard Charlie rush out of the house and come up to the car.

"What happened?" he asked, his tone frantic. "Why did you scream?" He suddenly pivoted and scanned the woods, searching for a breach.

Bella's heart was heavy as she felt responsible for Charlie's good mood disappearing again because of her own stupidity and anxiety. She opened her mouth to explain how she thought she felt someone watching her when Harry interrupted her.

"It was my fault," the older man said. "I was walking through the mud and almost slipped, she helped steady me before I fell. Scared the hell out of both of us." He eyed Bella warmly, and she nodded at him and then Charlie.

"Shit, Harry," Charlie exhaled in relief, immediately ceasing the search of the trees for an intruder. "Good thing she grabbed you. That would have been what, hip replacement number eight?"

"Ha-ha," Harry laughed sarcastically and finally released his grip on Bella's arm. He gave her a quick look to ensure she was steady, and she found herself nodding again, grateful he didn't rat her out as a raving lunatic to Charlie.

"Alright, let's get the rest of these bags in and I'll take you back to the Rez, Harry," Charlie promised as he grabbed a couple of bags from the backseat. He glanced at Bella and gave her a questioning look. Before she could reveal herself, she pulled it together and gave him a quick smile, deciding now was a good a time as any to give him the good news.

"Dad, I got the job at the Teacup Diner. I start today."

"Bella, that's great!" Charlie's face lit up again and Bella took the opportunity to inform him and Harry of the events of her day.

"Hey, that's where Billy's boy works!" Harry said cheerfully.

"Really?" Charlie asked, genuine surprise crossing his face. "I never see him there, and Billy hadn't told me."

"Jacob just started about a month ago, it's his second job," Harry explained as the three of them continued to unload Bella's things and place them right in the foyer of the house before heading back out for more bags. "Billy isn't really happy he's working off the Rez during the graveyard shift, but they could really use the money, you know, with his hospital bills piling up…"

"Right, right," Charlie agreed, discomfort evident in his voice. "Damn, I wish I had known they were hard up. I definitely would've offered a little more for the truck."

Bella knew Billy Black from her memory a little more clearly than Harry. Billy had been Charlie's best friend since before she was born, and in the summers she came to visit her dad after her parents' divorce, he had been around some of the time, watching games in the living room with a six pack of beer between him and her dad. She also knew he had recently been confined to a wheelchair due to some heart problems, but didn't remember just how old his son Jacob had been. He was younger than her for sure, which was why they never played together much growing up. She didn't even remember what he looked like, having only met him less than a handful of times.

"Nah," Harry said, interrupting Bella's thoughts. "You know he'd sooner cut off his own leg than come across as asking for handouts."

"I know that's right," Charlie agreed. They finally brought in the last of Bella's bags before he turned and faced her, squaring his shoulders by placing his hands on his hips. His face looked like he was trying to figure something out. "Bella, did you say that you started at the Teacup today?"

"Yep," Bella nodded, knowing what was coming next. "I work graveyard shift." She saw Harry's face light up at the thought of her working with Jacob, no doubt. But Charlie's face was in sharp contrast as he began to shake his head in a disapproving manner.

"No, that's too dangerous," he said sternly, the fatherly protectiveness rearing its head again. "There's nothing but psychos that come out that late at night, Bella. And after everything that's happened…"

"Dad," Bella protested, not wanting him to continue. "It's the only shift that they're hiring for. I talked to the owner, Clyde, earlier. He said there would be a cook there, who was built really big like a security guard or something."

"That would be Jacob," Harry chortled. He clapped a hand on Charlie's back. "You know that kid's built like a linebacker. He works the same shift as her and he'll take good care of her." Charlie still looked unconvinced but Bella was glad to see he was a little at ease knowing that Jacob would be there with her.

_This Jacob person must be huge,_ she thought, knowing if Charlie was backing down before she would have to play the 'You know I'm 19 years-old?' card on him, that Jacob Black must be someone that not only her father could count on to protect her, but maybe she could, too. She excused herself to the living room as Harry and Charlie retreated to the kitchen to have a couple of beers before heading back to the reservation. She booted up her Macbook and smiled at the familiar screensaver picture of her and Renee. She missed her mother dearly but it was hard to speak to her on the phone too often when she kept bringing up the events from the robbery. Before flashes of the event began to appear in her own mind, Bella forced herself to focus on her upcoming shift, which she would have to leave for in a little less than 4 hours. Soon, the cold feeling of being watched and the hissing noise that made her skin crawl just a few minutes before were pushed into the back of her head as she allowed herself to think about making a few bucks tonight. Perhaps with her first paycheck, she'd have Wi-Fi internet installed for her and Charlie.

* * *

Edward was fully aware that he was crossing a line. He was done trying to convince himself that he was only testing his limits, or preparing for the future. No, he was indulging himself and playing with fire while doing so.

Regardless of Alice's visions of a happy future for him and the human girl that haunted his every waking minute, Edward found his desire to taste the blood pumping through her veins growing with every passing second. For the last few days following Alice's revelation, he had attempted to get closer to Bella. He followed her wherever she went, which wasn't too many places. She mostly stayed home, and he could see her through the slits of blinds or curtains as she walked listlessly around the house, and sometimes he heard her flip on the television and would cringe at the mention of his crimes the day of the robbery read off by a news anchor.

It added to the mystery that Bella was the only person he had ever come into contact with whose mind he could not read. He ached to know what she was thinking; just how afraid of him was she? Or perhaps she didn't even remember him at all; after the shock of what she had been through set in, it wouldn't be completely implausible for her to have no recollection of him altogether.

He didn't know which possibility hurt him more.

So Edward continued to roam around her father's house. Chief Charlie Swan, a good man that Edward had never had the pleasure of meeting, but Carlisle had always spoken highly of. As Carlisle was a respected doctor at the local hospital, he came into contact with the Chief many times before. Edward suddenly remembered Carlisle's weary face when he returned from Seattle as Alice informed him of her visions and the fact that this human girl that was causing such an uprising in their life was Charlie Swan's daughter. Edward hated the fact that he had caused all of this with his own selfish behavior and his knee-jerk reaction to the aroma of Bella Swan.

He had almost slipped up badly today. He was surprised to see that she left her house on foot and walked almost two miles down the main road without the company of anyone to a diner. He scoffed; as if anyone she could be accompanied by would protect her from what he really wanted to do. Edward was careful to maintain a wide girth from where she treaded on the road and deep in the woods where he watched her from a safe distance. The urge to take off with the speed of a bullet to grab her and was burning him, licking him like flames on every square inch of his body, but something held him back. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. A thirst so torrid to claim the life of the young girl was only matched by the fierce audacity to leave her heart beating because the sound of her vitality was like music to his ears.

He was sick with indecision. He heard her conversation with the manager from the diner she had entered as he hid in the trees and almost hated himself for eavesdropping. Because he had been keeping such a close eye on her from a distance, he knew so much about her, and where she would be from now on while she worked the graveyard shift at a diner that was almost always deserted at the times she would be working. It was almost too easy, like someone was dangling Bella on a string before his very hungry eyes. If he wanted to, he could enter the diner tonight, kill all the witnesses as quickly and easily as he killed the robbers that threatened her before finally taking her for his very own.

But he resisted, and he allowed her to walk back to her house in peace. He found himself hanging around longer in the surrounding forest outside of the house instead of heading home to relieve himself of the routine he tortured himself with. Hours had passed before he saw Charlie and another man, a Native American, pull into the driveway and she joined them outside. He sat, still as a stone, and listened. From afar, he could perfectly see every cell of Bella's creamy white skin, clear and shaded with a red blush upon her cheeks that was always there. She was lovely. He was mesmerized by her every move.

His serenity was interrupted by an invasion in the form of his sister Alice. He heard her thoughts before she appeared at his side, casually leaning on a tree that he stood behind. "Alice," he acknowledged her.

"We've got a problem," Alice said flatly.

"Yes?"

"This little game you're playing, torturing yourself by watching Bella from afar, it's seriously fucking with my visions. If I have to see one more image of you ripping her apart…"

"Alice!" Edward hissed. He froze as he saw Bella stiffen at the loud noise he had just emitted. She had heard him. He cursed his predatory nature; any mountain lion relished the fear that came off their prey in waves, and he could almost taste the dread radiating off of Bella as she searched frantically for the source of the noise. He wasn't worried that she'd see him or Alice since they were too far away for human eyes to see. He felt a scrape on his arm and looked down to see Alice digging her nails into his stone-like skin. "What…"

"That's what I'm talking about!" she growled. "You and Bella are meant to be together, my visions are correct. But when you allow yourself to stoop as low as a mangy, starving coyote and watch her like you're hunting her…"

"Alice," Edward hissed again, lower this time as Bella was joined outside by her father and the other man. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. Visions or not, I can't guarantee that I can control myself around this girl. I _crave_ her." Edward's eyes were blacker than they had been in days, his thirst unable to be satisfied, and Alice softened her grip on him, releasing his arm as she sighed.

"It's because you need to initiate contact with her," she said softly. Edward began to speak when she interrupted him. "No, I'm serious. That's what my visions have shown me. When you watch her from afar like this, your predatory instincts will continue to steer you in the wrong direction. You're literally _hunting_ her right now." She took a deep breath and stared into Edward's jet black eyes. "It's like at the bank. When you spoke to her, interacted with her, you were above your basic instincts. You were almost…human. And you were able to put aside your predatory desire for her blood and realize your human desire for her instead."

"I can't guarantee that would happen again," Edward protested. "It was the heat of the moment—that piece of shit robber was going to rape and murder her. I couldn't let that happen. I followed my…" He stopped before he could finish his sentence, knowing if he did he'd regret it. It was foolish and stupid to think he could ever feel human emotions as if he were alive again. He would never truly be _alive_ ever again.

But Alice understood what he was saying. "Edward, you deserve happiness. I know this isn't fair for you, to be thrust into these feelings of yearning for a girl who still has blood in her veins and a pulse while the rest of us have found our mates in vampires just as we are. It's _more_ than unfair to you." She watched Edward crumple to the floor and bend his knees slightly, resting his head on them. She lowered herself to the wet ground and blinked at her brother through the light drizzle that had begun to fall. "But I promise you, you will find happiness with Bella Swan. You just have to allow yourself."

Edward's eyes met his sister's and he found the sincerity flicker across her amber pupils reassuring. "I trust you Alice. I just don't trust myself. Not yet. I thought following her would somehow desensitize me to her scent, but I'm not yet strong enough to approach her." He took a deep breath, the fragrance of Bella invading his nostrils and burning him again as he did so. "And it's not working."

Alice stared straight through Edward as he spoke, and it took him a moment to realize she was having a vision. He waited patiently as the moment ran its course, and was taken aback by the brilliant smile that dawned upon her face. He couldn't help but smile back. "Tonight, Edward," she whispered. "Your happiness will begin tonight."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: First and foremost-Loving & appreciating the feedback/follows/favorites, guys. Thanks! **

**Second-I'm not big on spoiler alerts pre-chapter in the authors' notes as I've seen so many fic writers do before, but I feel like this is important to notate (as it goes along with my author's note in the previous chapter). ****Jacob will NOT be a werewolf in this story****. Sorry to disappoint! Although I love the kid (and I **_**really**_** do love Jake), incorporating a wolf pack was not the direction I wanted to take in this fic. Hopefully I didn't ruin anyone's expectations :\ …but to make up for it, I think you'll enjoy this chapter. :]**

* * *

At a quarter past ten, Bella walked downstairs into the living area where Charlie was passed out in his La-Z-Boy. The television volume was lowered and she could hear the soft mumbles of the analysts on Sportscenter. She was grateful that her father wasn't watching the news for a change. She contemplated just leaving for her shift at the Teacup without waking Charlie, but knew it wasn't worth the lecture she would get when she returned home. Besides, the keys to her truck were in an unknown location, so she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. "Dad, I have to go to work now."

Charlie's eyes fluttered open and he gave a start, clutching his armrests tightly as if afraid he was going to fall off his chair. "Bella," he croaked, his voice thick with sleep. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry."

"No worries." Charlie yawned loudly and settled in an upright position as he surveyed his surroundings. His hair was askew, sticking up in different directions, and his clothes were crumpled as if he had been wearing them for far too long. Bella knew he had definitely had an extremely long day. She fidgeted impatiently as realization came over Charlie's features. "Oh, I guess you have to go now, huh?"

"Yeah, Dad. Where are the keys to the truck?"

"Here." Charlie rose slowly from his seat and reached into his pockets to pull out the lone engine starting key with a rabbit's foot for a keychain.

"Gross," Bella whispered, frowning as Charlie dropped the furry object in her hand. "You can keep the keychain." As she fumbled with the key to isolate it from the rabbit's foot, Charlie cleared his throat.

"Alright, I want you to text me as soon as you get to the diner," Charlie commanded, holding out his hand as Bella placed the rabbit's foot in his open palm. He clutched it tightly before adding, "And keep your phone on you at all times. If you need me, call me. I can be there in 2 minutes flat."

"Okay, Dad."

"I wish you'd take this with you," he grumbled, holding up the rabbit's foot. "These are good luck."

"I'm going to be fine," Bella promised her father, giving him a small smile. "I'm safe here, Dad. Because of you." She felt a tiny surge of emotion build up and she swallowed hard before it crashed against her eyes and produced tears. "I can't thank you enough for what you did for me today. The truck, taking care of my apartment lease, bringing back my stuff…" She chewed on her bottom lip as Charlie eyed the floor, the tips of his ears turning red. "I just…I really feel like I haven't been a good daughter to you these past few years."

"Bella!" Charlie's head whipped up and he stared her down fiercely. "Don't you ever say that. You're my daughter, my pride and joy. I would do anything for you, no questions asked, no matter if you live here, Seattle, Phoenix, or even Africa." Father and daughter refused to meet eyes as Charlie choked back his own emotion. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, kiddo." He took a deep breath and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I don't mean to treat you like a child. I know you're growing up to be a fine young woman. But I will worry while you work this shift so late at night, you can't expect me not to." He finally caught her gaze and he let out a huff of air. "Just promise me you'll be safe."

"Sure," Bella agreed. She cleared her throat and subtly wiped away a lone tear before crossing her arm over her chest to pat her dad's hand on her shoulder, then turned away. "I'll be back around six in the morning, after my shift is done."

"I'll be up and moving around, getting ready for work when you get back," Charlie said. With a little wave, Bella bid him goodbye and closed the door behind her. Standing on the front porch, she was met with a menacing roll of thunder followed by an electric flash of lightening that crackled in the sky. She felt raw, exposed, and slightly uneasy. Chocking it up to the fact that she had yet again displayed heavy emotions to her dad, she shook it off and headed towards the driver's side of her truck. Once inside the cab, she shut the heavy metal door and immediately felt better.

"This thing is like a panic room," she chuckled aloud. "Nothing can get me in here." When she started the engine, Bella's observation of the indestructibility of her ride was further proven. The engine roared like a monster truck. Shifting into reverse then steering south as she switched to drive, she enjoyed the few minutes of solitude in the cozy cab as she drove to the Teacup.

* * *

Edward bounded up the creek with his siblings in tow. He hunted big game, making a last attempt to satisfy this thirst in preparation of meeting Bella Swan tonight. He ignored the good-natured ribbing of Emmett for "getting it bad for a human" and the cold silence from Rose that was to be expected. Not even her foul mood (which she was in half the time anyway) could damper the brightness he was sure was radiating off of his body. For the first time in a week, he felt slightly normal again, but the only difference was the fleeting, almost foolishly delightful feeling of anticipation he was experiencing.

As they gained momentum and got closer to their house, Edward slowed his pace to listen in on the hushed conversation between Carlisle, Alice and Jasper from a hundred yards away. He urged Emmett and Rosalie to go off on their own, and they shrugged and left him. He settled back in the shadows of the forest and listened.

"_Are you positive it was a member of the Volturi?" Jasper demanded hastily._

"_Jasper!" Alice hissed. "Don't speak to Carlisle like that!"_

"_Yes," Carlisle answered wearily. "I'm positive. I could smell his trail as soon as I entered the city. It was strongest in the basement of the hospital, where the bodies are still being kept." There was a short pause before he added. "Our biggest problem isn't the humans anymore. We were worried about the risk of exposure, and it seems that our fears have come to fruition."_

_Silence._

"_We've waited too long to take action," Jasper began but was cut short by Alice. _

"_What action, Jasper? The girl told the police nothing." _

_"That doesn't matter now," Jasper said gravely. "Soon, they'll know it was Bella that last saw Edward. For all they know, she could have witnessed him murder the men with her own eyes."_

"_Alice," Carlisle's voice was low and even. "When will Edward approach Bella?"_

"_My vision showed me that he will see her tonight while she waitresses at a diner near her home. I am going with Edward to ensure everything goes well." _

"_It has to be tonight." _

"_Why?" Jasper asked. _

"_Because the sooner Edward gets Bella to trust him, the better." Carlisle's tone was insistent and solemn. "I think they sent Owen." _

Edward wasn't aware of how quickly he was moving until before he knew it, his hand was turning the knob to Carlisle's office. He was quickly met with three pairs of heavy lidded eyes, weary with thoughts he tried to block out as he spoke. "Alice, we must go now."

"Hold on," Alice said, her voice drifting. She shuddered as another vision came over her, but Edward was running out of patience. He looked at Carlisle.

"Owen?"

Carlisle nodded slowly, as if it pained him to say so. "I'm almost positive it was him."

"They would," Edward snarled. "Any excuse to let the pit bull off the chains." Jasper's thoughts were haughty as Edward craned his neck to leer at his brother. "So, I've brought this on upon myself, did I? You're probably right, Jaz. But don't worry, I don't need your help."

Carlisle shot a look of disdain at Jasper but before he could say anything, Alice reemerged from her trance.

"Edward, change of plans." She pursed her lips and her voice was steely, giving Edward no room to argue. "Now that we know the Volturi is involved and Owen is the pawn they've sent to investigate what happened in Seattle, the future is all scrambled up."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked aloud while Carlisle and Jasper's thoughts echoed his question.

"Right now, you're so wild and panicked that you can't approach Bella without scaring her off. So now, we're going to try something else."

* * *

"Oh, Isabella!"

Bella heard her name as soon as she parked her truck and climbed out. At that moment she realized she had never even given Clyde her name when he offered her the job today. But in a town as small as Forks, she was certain just letting him know that she was Charlie's daughter was enough identification. Her ears perked up as the waitress from earlier that afternoon came hustling out of the diner to greet her.

"Hi. Henrietta, right?" Bella furrowed her brows as she moved around her enormous truck to meet the elder woman halfway.

"Yes," Henrietta beamed. "You're here a few minutes early, which is good. Before I go home, I'm gonna show you the ropes." She looked around the deserted parking lot, save for Bella's truck and an old beat up motorcycle parked crudely between a handicap spot and a regular spot right in front of the entrance. "Not like we have many people come in overnight anyway, but it's the least I can do. Come on in." She waved Bella over with her plump arms and ushered her into the diner. "Welcome aboard."

"Thanks," Bella said politely. "And you can call me Bella." The diner smelled of coffee, French fries, and a mild hint of Pine-Sol. Bella was immediately at ease; the place was completely empty.

"Alright, Bella," Henrietta replied. "First, let's get you an apron. They're all a little big and very old, but they've got the Teacup's logo on 'em and that's about the only uniform Clyde requires us to wear." She lifted the ceramic partition on the bar and guided Bella to go ahead of her. When they were behind the counter, she reached into a cabinet below the ancient artifact of a cash register and pulled out some fabric made of different pastel colors. "You want pink like mine? Or green, yellow, blue…?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter."

"Hmm." Henrietta fretted for moment before picking up a yellow apron and handing it to Bella. "You might have to wrap that tie around you twice. You're a skinny little thing. They don't feed you in Arizona?"

"Oh," Bella replied, her eyes on the floor. "I lived in Seattle before I came here."

"I thought you lived with your momma. I've known your daddy for awhile, I serve him all the time. I was a little fussy when I found out you came back into town and he didn't tell me." Henrietta's face showed no inclination of knowing about the bank robbery, so Bella relaxed a little, finding mild comfort in the older woman's chatter.

"I did live with my mother, for awhile. But after I graduated high school, I moved up to Seattle for a change of scenery, I guess." She was fiddling with her apron and finally triple-tied it to fit her, then she looked up at Henrietta, who was nodding.

"I believe everything happens for a reason, you know," she lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Seattle isn't far from your old man. Maybe in your heart you just wanted to be closer." Bella should have been a little offended at the insinuation that she wasn't already close to her dad, but she found Henrietta's slight nosiness a little endearing. She sort of reminded her of her Gran, who had long since passed but was a presence Bella missed in her life. She smiled and nodded at Henrietta who continued to babble. Bella suddenly rebuked herself inwardly. She didn't know what it was about this place that was causing all her defenses to lower, first with her dad and now with this old woman who she was feeling a little affection for. It wasn't Bella's style to open up to anyone. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden loud _clang_ that crashed somewhere in the hidden kitchen area behind the two women. Bella jumped at the sound while Henrietta rolled her eyes. "That would be Jacob."

Bella's heart rate slowed as she experienced a touch of deja-vu; _that would be Jacob _had been the same statement Harry Clearwater happily said to her earlier that day. She cleared her throat and looked over Henrietta's head as a figure passed the serving window where plates of food ready to be delivered to their tables were placed. "Jacob…Black?"

Henrietta looked pleased. "You know Jake? He's a good kid. He has been working here for a little over a month now, comes in for the graveyard, too. I didn't like the idea at first, I mean, he's only 17, but he seems well equipped to take care of himself…" She was interrupted by the deep, playful voice of a man.

"Etta!" the voice boomed. "I'm heeeere." Bella's eyes widened as the large red door that separated the kitchen area from the rest of the diner swished open and an enormously tall man…no, kid…joined them. "Oh, hi." He yanked the buds from his ears and pushed the iPod in his hand into his pockets. His dark brown eyes met Bella's and he pursed his lips, suddenly shy.

"Jake!" Henrietta greeted the boy with the same enthusiasm as she had greeted Bella just minutes earlier. "Good to see you. May I introduce Isabella Swan, Sandy's replacement for the graveyard shift." She added quickly. "You can call her Bella."

"Wow, hi, Bella." Jacob wiped his hands on his camouflage shorts before extending his massive arm, thick as a tree branch, towards her. "I haven't seen you since we were just kids."

It took a moment for Bella to get her brain working. She had been busy studying Jacob's body from the moment he entered the room. His black t-shirt with cut off sleeves fit his lean yet muscular frame quite nicely, and his russet skin was smooth and clear. His palms and feet looked so large, almost awkward as he waited for her to take his hand. She recovered, doing a lousy job of hiding her ogling stare. Finally, she reached out and shook his hand. She watched a knowing smirk play on Jacob's full lips as he took his hand back and crossed his arms over his wide chest. Bella willed herself to look away and back at Henrietta, for Jacob looked like he was enjoying her gawkiness a little too much.

"Yeah, I guess it has been that long," she choked out, clearing her throat and cursing herself.

Henrietta was beside herself with glee. "I am sure you kids will get along just fine. Jake, run along and get the burners going. Raymond shut them off about 2 hours ago because we hadn't had a single customer after rush hour."

"Yes, ma'am," Jacob said, his eyes still on Bella. "I'll be right back." He turned and Bella found herself staring at the back of his head, studying his cropped black hair before she heard Henrietta clear her throat.

"Well," the elder woman grinned and placed a hand on Bella's shoulder. "As you can see, you'll be well protected while Jake's here."

"Yeah," Bella agreed, finally getting her bearings. She hoped she sounded nonchalant. "I can't see anyone wanting to mess with that kid." And she meant it. Not only was he as wide as a professional football player, he was one of the tallest men she had ever seen up close; he had to be well over 6'7", maybe even 6'8".

"I don't know what they're feeding those kids on the reservation, but he's not the only one who looks like that," Henrietta gossiped. "But let's get you familiar with the register and the menu before my ride gets here." She hustled Bella around the small diner, showed her where the table cleaner was to wipe down the empty booths while they had down time, where to place all the utensils after cleaning them, and then took her on a very short tour to the back kitchen where Jacob was messing with the stoves, getting the fire going. "Jake will come up and help you bus dirty tables if you need a hand, but it hardly ever comes to that during the graveyard. He usually stays back there and sometimes you might have to throw something at him to get his attention since he's always got those headphones on."

Jacob's Cheshire grin was becoming signature. Bella tried looking uninterested but she caught his eye and a small smile cracked her serious face. When Henrietta caught the exchange, she sighed and checked her watch. "Well, my grandson will be here any minute to come and get me, so I'll let you guys get to it." She untied the apron around her body and pulled a note pad out of the front pocket before handing it to Bella. "You can have that one, I've got an extra at home. Keep all your tips and don't claim them all come income tax time. It'll screw ya."

"Got it," Bella laughed, taking the pad and placing it in her own apron pocket. She felt her phone buzz before she withdrew her hand, but she ignored it. It was probably Charlie and Bella didn't feel like reporting her progress so early in the night.

"The back office has a phone if you need it, sweetheart," Henrietta called over her shoulder. "There's a bathroom in there too for employees only. And don't let Jake try to fool you into cleaning the customer bathroom-that's his job."

"Etta," Jacob chastised in a light tone. "There's nothing wrong with a little hazing." He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and followed Bella and Henrietta out of the kitchen. "Let me wait outside with you until your ride gets here."

"Such a gentleman," Henrietta said. She cupped the side of her hand to her mouth before adding an aside to Bella. "He won't get the hint that I'm not interested."

"Bye, Henrietta," Bella laughed again as she watched the pair head toward the exit. "And thanks."

"See you tomorrow night," Henrietta called, and then they were gone. Bella watched them pace around the front of the diner before a pair of headlights suddenly pulled into the parking lot, washing their figures with a bright beam. Since Henrietta had depended on her grandson to come pick her up, she figured that meant the motorcycle parked outside didn't belong to her. She tried to stifle her obvious interest in Jacob's bike riding skills as he reentered the diner and shook his head like a dog, causing water to fly everywhere.

"Just started pouring out of nowhere," he informed her, wiping his forehead with a massive palm. "So, how've you been, city girl?"

"City girl?" Bella asked, her brow furrowing.

"Well, you lived in Seattle before you came to stay with your dad, right?" Jacob lowered himself into a stool at the bar that Bella stood behind. Even with his shoulders hunched in bad posture, he was still taller than Bella.

"Oh," Bella said. "Yeah, I did. And I've been alright. You?"

"Can't complain," Jacob replied. "It kind of sucks having to work so much since I graduated last month from the high school on the reservation, but it's better than not having money at all." He motioned outside with a tilt of his chin and grinned. "With the extra cash, I was able to restore a Harley."

"That's pretty cool." Bella hoped she sounded appropriately interested. She kept glancing at his eyes as he spoke to her, his gaze firmly on her, but then her eyes would dart away.

_God, this kid is only 17, get a hold of yourself, _she reprimanded herself. _You're acting like a bumbling idiot. _She had not been fascinated with a guy for so long, she forgot what it felt like to interact with one she found even slightly attractive. Although she could hardly call herself "attracted" to Jacob Black, he definitely had certain qualities…_eyes, smile, muscles…_that popped out at her and she was helpless to stop the physical reaction rousing in her. Well, she couldn't completely commit to the fact that she hadn't been attracted to a man in a long time, because for whatever reason, Edward Cullen's face flashed quickly across her mind before receding into the depths of her thoughts, just where she liked to keep him. Before she could make the conversation between Jacob and her even more awkward than it already was with the lengthening silence, she asked him how his dad was.

"The old man's doing alright," he answered, his tone light. "He's still mostly in the wheelchair, but the doctor just ordered him to try walking around a little bit around the house now, so that's good news."

"Yeah, that is really good," Bella said, genuinely meaning it. Billy Black had been such a good friend to her dad for so long, she was rooting for his good health. "So, how'd you know that I lived in Seattle?"

It was Jacob's turn to look slightly bashful for the first time that night, and in his shy face Bella finally caught a glimpse of familiarity since he so closely resembled the childhood face in her memory of him. "Well, our dads squawk on the phones like teenage girls pretty often, I guess I picked up on some of the talk here and there."

Bella visibly blanched at the double meaning in Jacob's statement. Judging by his uncomfortable stance and how he now avoided her eyes to play with the smudged metal napkin holder in front of him, she was positive he had heard about the bank robbery. "Oh." Every inch of her skin began to burn as a blush crawled over body, and she was about to change the subject when she was suddenly saved by the bell.

"Babe!" A short, curvy girl with a mess of wet, black spiral curls and tan skin shoved on the front door of the diner before finally getting it to open all the way so she could walk in. Her clothes were slightly damp as the rain continued to pour outside, and she snapped on her gum as she studied Jacob and Bella at the counter, looking expectantly at both of them. Bella was about to greet her with a menu before Jacob stood up from his bar stool and walked over to the girl.

"Hey, Mandy," he cooed, wrapping a strong arm around the girl's back and pecked her lips quickly with his. She grinned up at Jacob before he turned them both around and smiled at Bella. "Bella, this is my girlfriend Mandy. Mandy, this is an old friend of the family, Bella Swan. She just started work here tonight."

"Cool," Mandy said, her tone friendly as she made her way to Bella. She held out a soft hand, the charm bracelet hanging off her slender wrist jangling loudly as Bella accepted the handshake dutifully. "Nice to meet you, Bella. You have beautiful hair!"

Bella fought the urge to stick a finger in her throat and gag dramatically. Mandy was speaking classic girl language to Bella: the old 'I'm going to warn you to keep your paws off my boyfriend, but disguise it with an empty compliment'. Still, Bella played along as she raked her hand through her glossy locks and tossed the mane over her shoulder before replying, "Thanks! You, too. I wish my hair could curl like that." She smiled widely while Mandy fluffed her own curls and turned back to Jacob, who was watching with a sarcastic look on his face. He might not have picked up on the unspoken words between the two females, but he was bored with how quickly they started talking about girly stuff, like hair. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Oh, no," Mandy said, shaking her head. She had green eyes that were round and almost sparkled and a pair of perky red lips. Bella was almost envious of the very pretty girl. "I just stopped by on my way home from work to say hi to my babe."

_Babe, _Bella nearly scoffed aloud, but she caught herself. _What the hell is wrong with you, Swan? Get it together! _She continued to inwardly berate herself as Mandy sauntered over to Jacob.

"Walk me outside?" she asked Jacob in a flirty tone, her intent clear on her face. When Jacob nodded, she clamped her small hand around Jacob's large one and turned back to wave at Bella. "Nice meeting you, Bella." With that, she yanked Jacob outside and Bella was alone again. She watched the pair disappear around the corner of the diner, and then sighed out loud. She leaned on the counter, cupping her chin in her palm and waited for any sign of life that may come in and order some food, and perhaps leave her a few bucks for a tip.

Though the Teacup was nowhere near as busy compared to the large restaurant chain she used to waitress for, she still felt bad just standing there idly. She straightened her back and began to wipe down the counter and refilled the napkin holders. Ten minutes later and still no sign of Jacob, Bella reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone to see one missed call and a text from Charlie. She replied to the text instead of calling him back since it was already midnight.

'_Sorry so late, but I met Jacob Black and learned the ropes. C U 2morrow._'

She wasn't surprised to receive a reply from him in under a minute.

'_Glad you met Jake. Tell him I said hi. Have a good day at work, kid._'

Bella smiled and tucked the phone into her back jean pocket, then picked up a rag to begin wiping the counters frivolously again. Just then, the bell at the door rang and Jacob strolled in, drenched from the rain. His mischievous grin was back. "Heads up, we've got a customer." He wiped his feet on the mat near the door then lowered his voice before adding, "And she's kind of hot." With that, he pulled his iPod earphones from his pocket and stuffed them in his ears, then disappeared into the kitchen. Bella watched him walk past her and felt a small flutter in the pit of her stomach as she waited for whoever Jacob thought was hot to enter the diner. She picked up a menu and heard the bell ring. The sight of the petite woman with cropped hair and flawless, porcelain skin standing at the door caused Bella's stomach to drop to her feet. They stared at each other knowingly for a long time before the banging of pots and pans in the back pierced the silence.

"Hello," the woman finally spoke, her voice clear and silver, like a bell. "May I have a cup of coffee, please?" Her amber colored eyes glistened as she slowly closed the distance between herself and Bella, who still stood dumbfounded behind the counter, menu in one hand and a rag in the other. She sat down slowly in front of Bella on the stool that was just minutes before occupied by Jacob, her back straight as a rod.

Finally tearing her eyes away from the salient face of the woman, a flawless face that was so familiar, Bella nodded. "Sure, coffee. Coming right up." She turned her back to reach out to the coffee maker but froze when a familiar sensation prickled down her spine. Without looking at the woman, she knew she was being watched. She felt like the prey. Whipping around so quickly that she dropped the menu to the ground, Bella held out her hands in front of her and pressed her back against the wall.

_Bella's forehead was pressed against the glass when the flash of lightening suddenly sprawled across the sky, and illuminated the moving object in the trees again._

"You." Bella's bottom lip quivered. The woman sat still as stone, one hand folded over the other in her lap, as she stared at Bella, unblinking.

"Me."

"You're not here for coffee, are you?" Bella wondered if she screamed for help, if Jacob would be willing to take the tiny woman out or if he would look at Bella as if she had lost her mind. Maybe she had. Then the woman began to shake her head from side to side.

"No, I'm afraid not, Bella."

It didn't even surprise Bella that the stranger knew her name. She felt like she had been waiting for her for awhile. "What do you want?"

"To talk." The woman's face softened and her lips stretched into an unbalanced smile, sending ripples of alarm throughout Bella's nerves. "About Edward."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I don't think I can ever stop thanking you guys, so I'm not even going to try. Thank you x infinity for all the great PM's and recommendations as well as the favorites/follows/feedbacks. **

**And to some of you who PM'd me for the extra encouragement, I appreciate you so much! But not to worry – negative reviews don't bother me. I realize we all have our own preferences when we approach fan fiction, so if you don't like the direction I take my story, feel free to bail! **

**Lastly, a special thanks to those who have been reviewing since the beginning; I don't want to let you guys down. So enjoy chapter 9!**

* * *

Alice adopted a self-control technique decades ago that helped her transition into the "vegan" lifestyle that the Cullens were widely known for. Coupled with her ability to see the future, she had complete confidence in herself that she would be able to control her urge to drink human blood and co-exist with humans peacefully. But the fact that Bella Swan's aroma was so easy to become enamored with and unlike any scent she had ever come across before gave Alice pause before she emerged from the woods that surrounded the Teacup diner just on the outskirts of town. She felt a hint of sympathy for her brother; if the girl's blood had this effect on Alice, she could only imagine how it haunted Edward. Though her visions allowed her a hint of his suffering, it was all too powerful for her to feel personally.

So with her chin up and back straight, eyes determined and mission clear, Alice easily pushed the glass door to the Teacup open and stood deathly still as all other smells inside the diner were muted by the force that was Bella's patented fragrance. The scent throttled her mercilessly like a crashing wave. It was concentrated and scorching, and Alice fought the urge to cup her fingers around the outside of her throat that ached with thirst.

But like the night in the woods when she had her revelation of the importance of Bella's presence in Edward's life, Alice immediately eased back, allowing a clipped vision of a gleeful Edward embracing the girl lovingly, nipping Bella's neck playfully as she laughed, her red eyes dancing. Almost as quickly as it came, the vision vanished, and Alice was staring right into the same girl's eyes, which were a serene shade of brown. Her lips were parted in an _O _of surprise, and Alice remembered the game plan. She started with something benign and asked for coffee, slowly edging towards the motionless waitress. After her baser urges of relishing Bella's scent were completely under control, it was all Alice could do not to fly toward the girl and wrap her up in a loving hug and squeal, "Welcome to the family!" But she resisted, and soon she came to rest in a bar stool just in front of her.

When Bella turned to pour her coffee, Alice studied her slightly turned back intently. Suddenly, she twirled around and Alice caught the flicker of reckoning flash across her heart-shaped face before it transformed into primal fear. Alice wanted to assure the girl that she was in no danger and ask her to relax, but Alice was a product of her own nature. It had been far too long since she was last a breathing human just like Bella, and even though she had not warranted it, the fangs slowly descended as her face ripped into a dazzling smile, a smile bestowed upon her kind to draw in their prey like a moth to the flame.

Then Bella spoke, and Alice snapped out of it. "What do you want?"

Her smile never wavered as she answered. "To talk. About Edward." The magic words. Alice waited for the reaction. In the 2.4 seconds it takes for Bella to speak, Alice hears the buzzing of rock music emitted from earphones and the soft murmuring of a boy singing along somewhere beyond the dining area and in the kitchen of the restaurant. Steam sizzles and pops from a pot of boiling water and a flame from the gas burner _whooshes_ to life.

"Edward…C-Cullen?" Bella's chin is quivering, and Alice regains enough control over her primitive urges to reduce the width of her terrifying grin.

"Yes, Bella," Alice replied. "You may have a few questions and I…" She trailed off as Bella's eyes wandered around, searching the glass windows of the diner as if searching for something, or someone, outside. She bit back a laugh before continuing. "I'm here to answer those questions." Bella chewed on her lip and Alice's eyes zoned in on the gesture. She wished she wouldn't do that. If she drew blood…she refused to finish her thought. She had to remember, her thoughts weren't entirely safe.

Bella risked a glance behind her through the serving window and watched the boy in the kitchen with the headphones bustle around in the back, then returned her gaze to Alice. "Questions?"

Alice nodded, the only movement she had made since she sat down. Usually in such a close encounter with a human, she was careful to fidget slightly or rise and lower her shoulders to make it look like she was a warm-blooded, breathing creature just like the rest of them. But she knew that they were past such trivial illusions. It was time for Bella to know the truth. "Sure. Ask me any questions you would like."

"What is your name?" Bella asked, her head cocked to the side and her thin arms wrapped tightly around the yellow apron covering her thin frame.

"Alice Cullen."

"Oh." Bella's frown was hard to miss. "Are you and Edward married?"

"No," Alice answered with a hint of amusement. "He is my brother." She waited for the next question, watching as the wheels turned inside of Bella's head.

"Did you follow me here to Forks?"

"We live here in Forks."

"Alice," Bella began, as if she were addressing an old friend. Alice could hear the heart beating her in chest slow to a normal rate. _So peculiar. _"What are you?"

"Now we're getting somewhere," Alice said.

* * *

Edward and Carlisle had been talking for hours over the precautions that would be necessary now that Owen Finch was in the States. Edward considered Owen to be his only physical and mental match in the vampire world. Like him, Owen could also read minds. And with every encounter Edward had with the Volutri, which wasn't many, he and Owen had managed to draw bad blood, so to speak. They constantly sized each other up, especially because Aro, one of the three who overshadowed the Volutri council, made it no secret that he desired Edward's presence on his personal guard. A replacement for Owen.

"This is personal," Edward spit out angrily, pacing back and forth in Carlisle's study as his father stood leaning against his large mahogany desk. "This is the product of a vendetta."

"I can't disagree with you," Carlisle said carefully. "But Edward, we must be reasonable. The news of your activity in Seattle has warranted a lot of unwanted attention, and the only reason the Volturi have even sent Owen is protocol." Edward scoffed at 'protocol' before Carlisle continued as if he didn't hear him. "Protocol being that Owen investigates any vampire involvement and he will want to question you."

"I'll bet everything I have Owen requested this task," Edward growls. "And he'll sniff me out and will try to kill me before he 'questions' me. I've been the target of the Volutri for decades."

"He won't touch you," Carlisle promised, his voice suddenly angry. "He'll have to come through all of us." Edward looked at his father and nodded.

"I have to go meet Alice now," he said, excusing himself and reaching for the door.

"Edward," Carlisle called, stopping his son in his tracks. "I want you to know that no one is angry with you for how you are feeling or what you've done. And I know you never thought much of it before, but it is my belief that everything happens for a reason. You were meant to intervene and save Bella Swan that day at the bank." Edward's shoulders stiffened, his back still to his father. "And although we don't know what the reason for her entering our lives might be yet, I have a feeling we're about to find out." With a curt nod, Edward exited and left Carlisle alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Bella's instincts urged her to flee, but after the initial shock of Alice's presence wore off, her curiosity won over. She looked so similar to the man who wiped her tear on the floor of the Seattle bank. Bella felt drawn to the tiny woman that in contrast was so solid in stature she looked as though she could snap Bella's arm with a pinch of her index finger and thumb. She was an exquisite being, with a slender body and graceful movements like a ballerina, the unnatural color of amber eyes that shined devilishly, and skin so immaculate it hurt Bella to stare at her for too long.

But Alice Cullen was _frightening_. Bella initially kept a healthy distance between her and the woman at all times as they continued to chat. She also kept one ear perked up to listen for Jacob, slightly at ease knowing that he was close by, but also unwilling to have him listen in on their conversation. After her first primary curiosities were answered, Bella almost bit back her last question before deciding to ask it after all. This woman, like Edward, were not normal. So she inhaled deeply and let it go, watching Alice closely the whole time. "Alice, what are you?"

This initiated another wolfish grin from Alice that almost made Bella flinch. _Does the woman know how creepy she's being?_

"Now we're getting somewhere," the woman began. "Bella, I don't want to scare you. And I do fully intend on answering all of your questions not only because you deserve answers, but because your life as you know it, is about to change forever."

"More than it already has?" Bella choked out before she could stop herself. She felt a new feeling rumbling inside of her. Was it anger? Bitterness? Whatever the tone she took, it was not lost on Alice. She watched the woman shift for the first time since she had sat down and lean in over the bar, infinitesimally closing the gap between her and Bella.

"Are you angry with Edward?" Alice asked, her tone curious and quiet.

Bella didn't answer at first. She had been feeling like a victim since the day she had a gun in her face, telling her to lie flat on the floor of a bank. Bella hated feeling helpless, depending on others, even her father, to take care of her. She couldn't be sure that it was Edward's fault or the robbers' fault, but she felt shaken and lost. She was sick of it. So instead of saying anything, she met Alice's eyes evenly.

As if she understood, Alice nodded. "You feel as though he left you alone to fend for yourself, don't you?"

"That's the thing," Bella said. "I don't feel alone at all. I feel like I'm being watched, followed, day and night. I dream of Edw—" Bella stopped rambling and gathered herself, letting her arms drop to their sides. "I dream of everything that happened at that bank robbery every night. It won't leave me…_he_ won't leave me."

"Is that what you want, Bella?" Alice asked softly. "Do you want to be left alone?" Alice felt a small glint of surprise when she watched Bella's head shake from left to right in disagreement.

"No." Before she could elaborate, Alice's arms shot out in front of her and signaled Bella to stop talking.

"Wait," she murmured as the bell signaled at the door and a group of four teenagers stumbled into the empty diner, laughing breathlessly.

"Hi, how long's the wait for a booth?" one of the boys cracked, causing his friends to snicker at the lame joke. Bella gave Alice an apologetic look before grabbing four menus and motioning to the teenagers to sit down at the first booth near the door. As they collapsed into their seats, Bella could smell cheap booze and spearmint gum radiating off each of them. Bella never got the urge to drink alcohol, and she wasn't a big fan of the stench. Leaning backward, she took their drink orders and scribbled down the four orders of fries they requested, then headed back to the bar where Alice hadn't moved an inch.

"Jacob! I need four orders of curly fries, please!" Bella shouted through the serving window but didn't see the large boy anywhere. She spun on her heels and gave Alice another look of apology. "Please, don't go anywhere." Alice bowed her head and clasped her hands together in her lap again, signaling her commitment to stay where she was. Satisfied, Bella hurriedly took the three Cokes and one cup of water to the loud table of teens before pushing the door into the kitchen out of her way, searching for Jacob. Her fingers trembled as she searched the surprisingly large kitchen for 6'5" kid who seemingly disappeared into thin air. She turned to the left and saw that the door to Clyde's office was ajar, so she pushed it open slightly and peered in.

Jacob was there, texting on his phone, his earphones still plugged in. He looked up as he felt Bella's eyes on him and he gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm sorry, were you calling me, Bella?" He tucked his phone into his pocket and stood up, immediately towering over her.

"Yeah," Bella croaked and then cleared her throat. His size was massive. She didn't know if she could get used to it. "I have an order of four fries waiting, we just got another table."

"What'd that hot chick want?" Jacob asked, sliding past Bella with ease as he headed to the large walk-in freezer for a couple of bags of frozen French fries. "You put in a good word for me?" He winked at her and ripped open the bags, tossing the fries into the greaser.

"You think Mandy would like that?" Bella retorted before she could stop herself. She prepared for Jacob's comeback to be biting, but instead her eyebrows rose as he let out a loud bark of laughter.

"I'll ring the bell when the order's up," he dismissed her good-naturedly, shaking his head.

She turned around and exited the kitchen, in a hurry to get back to Alice. When she emerged back into the front area of the diner, she was relieved to see that the woman had not moved an inch. Bella retook her place in front of Alice and lowered herself so that she was leaning on the bar with her elbows tucked into her body. "You didn't answer my question."

"Which was?" Alice inquired in an innocent, bell-like voice.

"What…_are_ you?" She held her breath as Alice took a moment to reply. Bella could tell that she was trying to be careful with her answer, and because of her hesitance, Bella's fears were confirmed. If she had just been a normal person, Alice would've said so. Or at least had been offended by Bella's question. But she wasn't normal. Her skin, her eyes, what she knew about Bella and what she claimed to know about how her life was about to change. And because Bella knew that Alice wasn't normal, deep down inside, she knew that Edward wasn't normal either. And that maybe the strange woman who appeared in the middle of the night on Bella's first night of her new job in the new town she was inexplicably relocated to was right: life as Bella knew it would never be the same after Alice answered her question.

"I am not like you," she began. "I am not like Jacob." She motioned with her eyes over my shoulders as the cook in the back continued to fry food in the kitchen. "I am not like those disgusting children behind me." Bella's eyes flitted to the inebriated teenagers still rambling on about their wild night. "I am a creature that was not thought to exist in your world." Before she could continue, Bella's eyes came back to hers, causing her to stop.

"And Edward?" she asked in a small voice. "He's like you?"

"Precisely," Alice agreed with a tiny nod. "And because of what we are, Edward had to…disappear for awhile…after the bank robbery."

_Christ_. Bella gulped audibly. "He killed those men, didn't he?" She tried to keep her voice even as Alice arched one eyebrow, no doubt surprised by Bella's brash conclusion. "I'm sorry," she began, not wanting to offend the woman who had just begun to provide her with answers.

"Don't apologize," Alice cut her off. "I said you deserved answers. Yes, Bella. Edward killed those men." She waited for Bella's reaction to the news. She nearly dropped her jaw when Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"I understand now."

Alice was quiet for a moment as she tried to read Bella's blank face. No fear. It was puzzling. "And with that, I am going to have to end our chat." She rose slowly from her seat as Bella began to protest.

"Wait," she pleaded as Alice turned to leave. She thought about reaching out to touch her, but decided against it when the woman turned and parked her amber stare on Bella's face. "I need more answers. Please."

"I know," Alice said. "I just meant that our chat is ending tonight, but this won't be the last you see of me, Bella Swan." She pursed her lips together and gave Bella a half-smile. "It will all make sense soon. You are a strong young woman, I can already tell. And you'll need to hold onto that in the future."

"Am I in danger, Alice?"

"Not tonight, Bella." She leaned in closer and Bella could smell a faint woodsy scent with a hint of something else that smelled so familiar. "See you soon." She winked and pranced out of the diner like she had no cares in the world. She was so fast that the kids at the front booth never saw her go, only turning their heads when they heard the bell at the door ring.

"Order up!" Jacob called through the serving window and Bella snapped out of her daze. She walked up to the food and began to place it on a tray when she saw Jacob's friendly face staring at her through the partition. "You alright, city girl?"

"Yeah," Bella said. "I'm fine." She turned to go serve the food but caught a glimpse of the large digital clock on the wall just over the bar: 12:04 AM.

Just six more hours to go before she could go home, where hopefully she could make sense of what Alice's visit now meant about her future.

* * *

Alice stepped out into the night air that finally took a break from the rain and treaded far into the woods, her skin so pale it nearly illuminated her path. After walking one hundred yards away from the diner, she pivoted and stood still between the trees, waiting. Not one minute later, Edward joined her. "Hello, brother."

"Alice."

"She's sensitive," Alice began. "Extremely."

"How so?"

"It's as if she can feel what we are: predators. She feels us as we watch her, she knows she's being followed. She's very intuitive, and I must say, very brave." She paused and her eyebrows furrowed. "Either that or naïve. She knows that you killed those men. It was maddening at how calmly she took that in stride."

"She wasn't afraid?" Edward wondered, his eyes set straight ahead.

"No, I can't say that she was. She was almost _relieved_," Alice explained. "But Edward…I think she's been waiting for us. For this." Edward mulled over Alice's statement. How could a human girl not be afraid of what he was? A blood-sucking monster? Would she be afraid upon seeing him? As if sensing his apprehension, Alice placed a stone cold hand upon his arm and gently squeezed. "She's ready for you." And with that last statement, Alice removed her arm and was gone, leaving Edward alone to wait.

_Tonight, Edward. Your happiness will begin tonight._

* * *

"So you survived your first shift," Jacob said as he mopped up the floor of the diner as Bella wiped down the tables. "You kill it in tips?"

"I had three customers all night," Bella replied, grinning in spite of herself. "So no, I didn't make bank."

"Well you'll be happy to know we make $2.50 more than everyone else for working overnight," Jacob bragged. "Might not seem like much but Clyde had a hard time hiring people to work this shift in the past. It was an incentive that stuck."

"Good to know," Bella said. She finished wiping down all the counter tops and finally unwrapped the apron from her body before folding it in a tight coil and sticking it in her back pocket. She turned suddenly at the jingle of the bell signaling a new arrival and saw a couple of middle-aged women with Teacup aprons already on enter the diner. She gave them a polite smile as they walked in and introduced themselves as the morning shift staff. After shaking their hands and moving out of their way, she walked towards the exit, passing Jacob. "It was nice meeting you again, Jake."

"You, too, Bella." He gave her another signature grin that reached his ears. "See you again tonight?"

"Yeah," she replied and gave a little wave before turning and pulling the door open to meet the night sky. The sun still hadn't met the horizon yet, but birds were singing like crazy in the trees that surrounded the diner, signaling that dawn was not far behind. She took her time trudging to her truck, enjoying the break in the rain, and also being careful not to slip in the mud. She thought a lot about Alice, and even about Edward. Her appearance was unexpected and at the same time Bella felt as though she knew it was coming. What was happening to her life ever since that robbery? What had she allowed to enter into her world? And what kind of creature was Alice referring to herself as?

She went over a mental checklist, noting her beckoning features (like Edward), statuesque physique (like Edward), and pale skin, snowy and unblemished (like Edward). The overwhelming sense of inferiority standing next to Alice, as though Bella was a twig that could be snapped. An instant memory of the questioning detective in Seattle's description of the murder scene flashed in her brain and she grimaced. Apparently those bodies had been snapped in two as well. She wouldn't put it past Alice to be as strong as Edward.

What kind of creatures could they be? And whatever they were, did Bella really care? She found herself longing to see Alice again, and not only her, but Edward, too. Her feelings for this man were pushing and pulling like an undertow, threatening to take her below and making it hard to breathe. Since the moment he entered her life by chance at the bank, she felt tethered to him, somehow in debt almost. Surely, he saved her life, but at what cost for him?

She finally reached the driver's side of her truck and felt around into her pockets for her keys. The night sky was brightening slightly and provided enough light to see the lock where she needed to jam her key into to open the door. Before she could turn it, she felt her body become rigid at once. There was the feeling again; a cold and sinking feeling she had become all too familiar with in the last week. Slowly, she turned to face the woods behind her. Bella's feet were firmly rooted to the ground but she felt her body stir. She licked her lips and didn't have to wait for long before what she was waiting for finally arrived.

Right in front of her, a pale figure dressed in a dark gray T-shirt and denim jeans emerged from the shadows. Only her labored breath made a sound, the birds suddenly quiet. The silence was deafening, even as the figure moved slowly towards her, his footsteps inaudible as he came to an abrupt stop a yard in front of her.

She closed her eyes and inhaled. Lilacs.

Her mind suddenly blank, Bella's eyes fluttered open, the long lashes on her lids creating a dark shadow over her cheekbones. His eyes were dark as coal, making his insipid face look sullen as he stared hard at her, sizing her reaction to his appearance. This was the moment she had been imagining in her vivid dreams for the last week. He had finally come to her and she was wide awake.

No eyes watching her from afar. He was real, solid, and ever present.

Bella was afraid to move or make any noise in fear that he would retreat into the forest and she would never see him again. Minutes passed but neither of them fidgeted in the uncomfortable silence. Finally, she took a deep breath and shuddered a breathy greeting. "I've been waiting for you."

"Likewise." He took a step closer, his arms stiff by his sides, hands tucked into his front jean pockets.

"You never left me." Bella's voice was even and there was no question in her statement.

"Never."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: My readers are AWESOME. Thanks again for the amazing reviews and compliments…they mean more than you know. I'm so happy you guys like this story! I'm sorry for the delay between updates, but summer school is extremely demanding and in between studying for weekly exams (and updating my new Big Bang Theory fic lol), it's hard to stay focused! But I am doing my best.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

And so they were finally face-to-face. The moth and the flame.

Hearing Bella whisper a confirmation of knowing that he had always been there made Edward feel both elated and apprehensive at the same time. The scent of the girl before him had intensified, and he wouldn't have been able to walk away now if he tried. This terrified him. She was motionless as the wind picked up, causing leaves to swirl around her feet and her hair to toss carelessly in the wind. Edward watched, in a trance, as she picked up her slender wrist and flicked her hair over her shoulder. He almost groaned aloud as her shampoo, remnants of her body lotion, and the fabric of her clothes all mixed with the scent of her blood and flung itself into Edward's nostrils. Luckily, the wind blew another gust and the scent waned slightly. He had a fleeting moment of doubt; what if he couldn't do this? Alice's visions were purely subjective and could change at the drop of a hat. What if by opening his mouth again, he would soar towards her in a frantic attempt to close his lips around her delicate neck? Then the doubt fell away like a peeled layer as he realized that if it had even been a serious possibility, Alice would have flown through the woods, where she was surely waiting, like a bat out of hell and stopped him. So instead, Edward removed his hands from his jeans and kept his arms still at his sides as he spoke again. "Can we…talk?"

Bella eyed him with a certain glazed over expression. It seemed as though hearing his voice again woke her up from a daydream. She blinked twice. "Yes, of course. But…I have to go home soon. My dad will be waiting for me."

Edward could hardly hide his disappointment. He barely had worked up enough nerve to approach Bella tonight, how could he wait any longer? "Oh," he replied, immediately looking down.

"No, I mean, we can still talk," she said quickly. "I just meant that we would have to…go to my house." Edward was suddenly entirely grateful for his supreme vision. Even in the fading moonlight and hazy darkness that came before the dawn, he saw the exquisite blush ripple over her pastel cheeks and ears. Apparently the thought of having Edward at her house was desirable? He could only hope this was true, being that he still couldn't hear her thoughts. Which was doubly frustrating as it was intriguing to him. He had discussed this situation with Carlisle days before, but they had chocked it up to perhaps Edward hadn't properly tuned into her 'frequency' since they had met under such a high-stress situation. But now he was standing merely feet away from Bella Swan and Edward couldn't hear anything except her lungs working to inhale and exhale and the faint pounding of her delicate heart that beat in time with her breathing. The chirping of the birds and symphony of the creatures of the forest be damned—Bella was the most beautiful song in the world.

"Well, then. Lead the way." Edward lifted one of his arms to motion towards her truck directly behind her. He almost flitted quickly to her side in order to open the truck door for her but he stopped himself. He had a feeling demonstrating his incredible speed would do more harm than good right now. He might not have been able to read her thoughts, but he could tell by her intense stare that she was still trying to size him up. Her eyes seemed reluctant to look away from him, but she finally did and turned around to open the door. She was halfway in the cab before she noticed that Edward still hadn't moved from where he had been standing.

"Did you need a ride? Or were you just going to follow me in your car?" She waited for him to respond and he bit back a smirk.

"Why don't you get a head start?" he suggested, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sure your father would like to hear about your first day of work before he leaves for the station. I'll be on your front porch in twenty minutes." Suddenly Edward thought he had been too forward. She had said earlier that she knew he had never left her, but would it frighten her when she realized that Edward, a virtual stranger, knew exactly where she lived, and what her father did for a living?

"Okay," she said, a small smile forming at her lips. Edward felt relief surge through his ice cold body, warming it from head to toe. Before Bella climbed into her truck, she seemed to struggle with something, then she turned around to face him again. He braced himself for her to change her mind. "Do you promise?"

"Promise?"

"To be on my porch," she said. "In twenty minutes?"

If Edward had a live heart, it would have skipped a beat. "I promise." His answered satisfied her as she finally climbed into her vehicle and slammed the door, the engine roaring to life a second later. He watched as she switched her headlights on and fled into the woods before she left the parking lot. He leapt and bounded between the thick trees, a grin on his face so wide he was sure he looked like a fool. He heard Alice's smug thoughts somewhere along the lines of '_I told you so_' whip by him as he continued to run, but didn't stop to acknowledge her. He had a porch to be on.

* * *

Carlisle's pager buzzed at 5AM exactly, rousing him from deep thought. He changed clothes quickly only because he was wearing the same navy blue slacks and white polo as he had been wearing earlier that day to work. He chose a dark pair of denim jeans and black v-neck sweater, then drove directly to the Forks Medical Center. A modest three story building with one entrance for emergencies and non-emergent walk-ins alike, Carlisle enjoyed the exclusivity of the establishment and truly loved working there. But since he wasn't on call but he was paged 9-1-1, he felt slightly anxious. He nodded to the nurses manning the emergency room counter and headed for his office to grab his white attending coat when his senses suddenly went on high alert. He turned the corner down the deserted hallway of offices and his eyes focused on his door that was slightly ajar. He reached the door knob and pushed it open, venom slowly seeping into his mouth as he prepared to strike at the intrusion. He was met with the sight of young man standing behind his desk, closing a drawer that he was just looking through. "Owen."

"Carlisle! I see you got my page. I hope you don't mind me calling you in on your day off." Owen's light voice went with his light blonde hair that fell easily across his forehead. He was of medium build and average height, nothing remarkable that would strike fear in anybody else, but Carlisle knew better. Having been on the court of the Volturi at one time in his life, he knew that they did not recruit any ordinary vampire with ordinary strength. Owen Finch was about a century older than Carlisle, but turned into an immortal at a very young age. "It seems that we have a few things to talk about."

"I agree," Carlisle straightened from his initial crouch, willing himself to relax. To act with malice would only give Owen more the reason to pry and suspect. "It's nice to see you again."

"And to see you, too," Owen replied, his slight British accent poured from his friendly greeting as he bowed his head and met Carlisle's eyes with his own blood-red orbs. "My apologies," he added, sweeping his hand over Carlisle's desk. "I put everything back into order. As you might understand, I've been sent here by Aro to investigate the trouble that Edward has gotten himself into."

Carlisle not only had to be polite out loud, but also within his mind. Though Edward's strength in mind-reading far surpassed Owen's in the fact that Owen could only read one mind at a time and only when in close quarters with the individual (which came in handy to the Volturi for rough interrogation purposes), Carlisle was close enough to him that he had to keep his thoughts polite, as well. "Of course I understand, Owen. But I assure you, my family and I are in control of the situation."

"Ah, the Cullen clan," Owen said with a bright smile. He walked around the desk to close the distance between him and Carlisle. "I trust your lovely Esme is well?"

"She is."

"Great, then you'll pass along my greetings to her. Now, Carlisle. I know Edward is very important to you and your family, but he has gotten himself into quite a mess. And I need to speak with him immediately. Of course, I could have gone by your home to seek him out, but I'm sure that would've been met with quite the resistance." Owen's red eyes flashed meaningfully at Carlisle, who stood completely still near the door of his office. "I paged you here because I know that you are the level-headed one, and I'm sure you know all the facts." He folded his arms covered in a leather jacket across his chest and waited. "So please, fill me in."

"Like I said, Owen," Carlisle began, still rooted to his spot near the door. "Our family has this under control."

"I'm sure you do, but please, I beg of you as an old friend, Carlisle. What do you know?" Before Carlisle opened his mouth to protest again, Owen added in a menacing tone, "You know it won't be difficult for me to pick that brain of yours by force. So let's do this the easy way, hmm?"

* * *

Bella pressed on the gas pedal of her truck and heard the engine protest when the speedometer reached 55 MPH. She eased off slightly, knowing that she would be home in seconds. Her palms had become sweaty as she gripped the steering wheel, the last seven hours replaying over again in her mind while she drove home. One minute she was starting her first shift at the Teacup, the next minute her life was changed forever when an extraordinary creature entered the diner. Alice had warned her of this, hadn't she? She must have known that Edward would be waiting for her when her shift was over.

Edward Cullen. The man that she had been dreaming of for the last week, whose watchful eyes she had felt on her body with every move she made.

She had invited him over without hesitation, something she should have been chastising herself over, but she felt nothing but exhilaration coursing through her veins. She needed answers and Alice had promised that she would get them. Therefore Bella intended on juicing him for every detail. It wasn't until she pulled into her driveway and saw a hint of sunlight glaring from behind the thick clouds in the sky that she felt her first pang of fear. The reason Alice had looked so familiar was because of her resemblance to Edward, and the woman had described herself as a creature unlike a human. She had also confirmed that Edward killed the robbers at the bank. Bella parked her truck and shut off the engine as she bit her lower lip. Should she be afraid?

Her instincts screamed confirmation, but something else led her to believe that she could trust that Edward wouldn't harm her. If that had been his intention, wouldn't he have done it by now? He knew where she lived, who her father was, so what was to stop him? She shut her eyes and remembered the promise Edward made to her on the marble floor of the bank during the stick up.

_"I don't know what you're thinking right now, but please try not to move," a whispered voice came from her left, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm going to take care of it."_

She decided that she was done being afraid. She would finally know everything about Edward tonight, in fifteen minutes when he would be waiting for her to let him in. Exiting her truck and slamming the door behind her, Bella jogged up the stairs of the porch and turned the knob to the front door that easily opened. She could smell coffee on the pot and she smiled when she heard Charlie clear his throat from inside the kitchen. "I'm home, Dad." She walked in and saw her father rise from the small table where he was drinking from a mug and reading a paper.

"Bells!" he greeted her happily. "How was it?" He put a hand on the gun holster hanging from his hip and waited while Bella shrugged.

"It was work," she replied. "Jake was really nice. It was cool to see him after so many years."

"Yeah. You two used to be best buds way back when. I didn't know if you'd remember him since he looks so different now, plus you were just a couple of pre-schoolers at the time." Charlie took one last sip of his coffee and dumped the mug into the sink. "I'm glad to hear it went well. But I've gotta get going. Hopefully I can see you every morning like this before I go." He gave her a boyish smile and a small wave. "I'll be back around dinner time. See ya, Bella."

"Bye, Dad," Bella said softly and saw him off.

"Lock up behind me!" he ordered, then closed the door behind him.

She walked up and put the chain on the door because she knew he wouldn't leave without hearing it. When she heard the engine of his patrol car start up and rumble down the street, she felt a small wave of relief that he didn't hang around and that her plans for company were still in motion. Suddenly very aware of her fatigue, she stifled back a yawn and ran up the stairs to the bathroom so she could run a brush through her hair and gargle some mouthwash. Her nerves were slightly frazzled as she pondered over what she would ask Edward. When she shut off the water in her bathroom sink, she heard a light knock at the front door. "Someone's early," she said to herself softly, feeling herself grow hot as a grin spread across her face.

Bounding down the steps before stopping herself a few feet away from the door, she willed herself to be cool. Smoothing back her hair behind her ears, she peered through the peephole and saw Edward leaning against one of the beams on the porch, waiting patiently for her to answer. He looked exactly the same as every dream she ever had of him and somehow that comforted her. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and greeted Edward with a shy smile. "Hi."

"Hi," he laughed. "May I come in?"

"Of course." Bella opened the door wider and she inhaled deeply as the familiar aroma of earth and lilacs overcame her when Edward crossed the threshold. She closed the door behind him and locked it by habit before turning around to face him again. She was about to ask him if he wanted any coffee but she saw him stiffen, his back still to her. "Is everything alright?" When he didn't answer her, she began to walk around him, straining to see his face.

"Bella," he breathed and held out a hand, warning her to stay where she was. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Okay," she answered, awkwardly standing behind him.

"I need for you to stay completely still for just a few minutes." His request came out in a voice so low she had to lean in to hear him. "Do not move."

"Edward…" Bella began, but when he flinched away from her voice, she closed her mouth and stayed put. The request was odd, but Edward looked like he was struggling with something, internally battling with a force she couldn't see. So she waited him out, the muscles in her own body tensing up. Suddenly, he began to turn slowly and his eyes, now more easy to see in the light of her living room, flickered to her. They looked black as coal, just like she remembered them. But as those accusing eyes roamed over frame, she felt that old, icy feeling of being hunted jolt through her like lightening. She held her breath as Edward's eyes met hers.

Had she made a mistake?

* * *

He had been a fool to think that it would be this easy.

After she closed the door behind him and they were completely alone, his resolve suddenly began to crumble, the earlier excitement faded away, and his instincts kicked in. How could he have forgotten, even for a moment, that he was still a monster, and this girl was still biologically his prey? Just because they made contact made no difference to his animal urges that relished the situation he now found himself in, which was in a closed quarter with the girl of his desires, alone and for the foreseeable future, they would not be bothered. And the fact that her pulse quickened the moment he passed by her at the front door did nothing to help the situation. Her blood was literally beckoning him. She was in every way his for the taking. So when she locked the chain on the door and turned to face him, he froze. Every ounce of self-control was summoned, and he reached deep finding more control that he never had before as he requested that she stay where she was.

Walking into her house where her scent had touched every square inch was like swallowing a ball of fire. His skin rippled with anticipation and his muscles were poised to attack. His mind was screaming at him to move, to leave, but he didn't want to make any sudden movements that would frighten her further than she probably already was.

Smelling the fear on a human was like an aphrodisiac for his kind.

Plus, if he allowed himself to move an inch, he couldn't promise that it would be to flee.

_This is the path you are on now, _he reasoned with himself as he heard Bella hold her breath and wait for him to speak. _She is your future. If you kill her, you kill yourself. _After what seemed like hours, Edward began to regain control one second at a time. First, he untightened his fist and brought his arms down to his side, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Then, he unclenched his jaw and let out the breath he had been holding. In order to speak again, he would have to allow himself a tiny inhale of oxygen. He didn't want to take any chances, so he spun around and reached for the door, practically ripping the chain off the frame and flinging it open. He took two steps out onto the porch and drew in an infinitesimal breath. Though his throat still burned, there was relief from the fresh air and wind that blew. As quickly as the relief overcame him, dread flooded back in. He was now afraid to turn again and see Bella, who was probably ready to kick him out and never speak to him again. _As if that would keep me away._ He cursed silently to himself and looked over his shoulder. He was about to call her name when she surprised him by joining him on the porch. He forced himself to meet her eyes and was taken aback by what he saw. Instead of the horror he anticipated, he found concern. _For him._

"Edward, are you okay?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please, let me help you."

"Help me?" He couldn't believe it. He was incredulous and his voice came out colder than he had intended it to. This girl should be running for the hills to get away from him! What, was she born with a defect in her intuitive markup that would enable her to seek out trouble rather than hide from it?

"Yes," Bella answered, her eyebrows still furrowed as she raised her hand to place it on his arm. He longed to let her make contact, but he couldn't trust himself, so he turned away, walking to the opposite side of the porch. His action made her heart speed up, and Edward would have done anything in that moment to be able to hear her thoughts. He didn't have to wait long before she spoke, her voice cracking. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Bella," he croaked. "You couldn't do anything wrong if you tried. It's me." The burning in his throat was beginning to die down as he saw Bella deflate in front of him, her gaze suddenly out on the tree line in front of her house, anywhere but at Edward. His desire to make her feel better, to bring back that shy smile and gentle blush upon her skin that he had seen earlier was suddenly outweighing his desire to taste her blood, but he held back, not trusting himself. "Bella, I have waited what seems like forever to talk to you about that day at the bank. And I intend to do so."

"Then why…" Bella started in a bitter voice that threatened tears before closing her mouth. He watched as she tried to regain composure before continuing. "Why do I feel like you're going to leave me? Again?"

"I'm not strong enough to ever leave you again," Edward answered in a low, even voice. She met his stare with her own pair of glossy eyes. "There's something you need to know before this goes any further." His hands trembled in his pockets.

"What?" she demanded.

"Bella, I am not a human being." He waited for her horrified reaction, but received nothing but an acknowledging nod. _This is what Alice meant by how maddening her calmness was!_

"Your sister, sh-she told me that you were…creatures not thought to exist in my world."

"She was correct." He hesitated before adding, "Are you afraid?"

"No, I'm not," she insisted, edging closer to him. He stiffened, anticipating her. "Tell me, Edward." Her eyes lowered and she regarded him with…could it be? Longing?

"I am a vampire."

They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I know—I suck! I'm sorry! The last chapter left you guys hanging off of all kinds of cliffs, and for that, I apologize. :[ But I think you'll like this chapter. ;]**

**P.S. I love love LOVE how you guys are enjoying a braver, stronger Bella. I adore Twilight books as much as the next fan, but I found myself visualizing a bolder, lion of a woman for ****this**** story's Bella, especially after she was the victim of a crime.**

**P.S.S. The reviews, follows & favorites just fill my heart until it threatens to burst! Thank you guys SO much. Enjoy chapter 11!**

* * *

When Bella was a sophomore in high school, twenty kids from her class were pulled out one by one throughout the day by counselors and the armed security guard on the campus to be questioned by the cops about the wounds suffered by another girl their age. She had been bitten by human teeth sixteen times on her wrists, the base of her neck, and breasts. When she complained to her mother one morning that she felt too sick to go to school then promptly passed out in her bed, her mother took her to the emergency room where her wounds, that had become infected, were treated then reported to the police. It turned out that almost two dozen teenagers, including the bitten girl, had established an underground society where they practiced vampirism.

Bella, just like other kids in the school, had been inexplicably intrigued. But while the other kids swapped stories about how weird those "Goths" involved had always been, if they engaged in freaky sex acts, or if they actually _drank blood, _Bella tried not to think about it too much (she had, after all, an undiagnosed phobia of blood). Her mother had never given her a curfew, being that Bella never was the kind to go out much, but she found herself home early every day before the sun set. The idea of someone causing harm to someone else, especially if they consumed their blood, was traumatizing for Bella at that time in her life.

She half-expected Edward to follow up his declaration that he was indeed a vampire with a "just kidding" or a "gotcha", but he didn't strike her as the kidding type, at least, not about this. She took in his ceramic, creamy skin and remembered the minty-cold feel of his finger on her cheek, and Bella knew that from the moment she entered Forks, she was no longer in what would be considered "real life". With the dreary sky always pouring, the lush, towering trees always swaying, this town was more like the outskirts of a fairytale land where the resident prince was Edward Cullen, a creature that feasted upon blood.

She should be frightened, repulsed. She should feel anything but what she felt right now, which was _entranced_.

Her instincts were screaming at her to run again, but her legs remained still. She took in a deep breath and maintained eye contact with Edward as she tried to make sense of it all. It was no wonder Edward kept such a far distance from her and didn't allow her to touch him. Not seconds ago he had ran out of the house in a hurry, gulping the fresh air outside like a drowning man breaking the surface.

She realized that she was torturing him with the very thing that kept her alive—her blood. So why hadn't he just ended her life that day at the bank, too? Bella answered her own question: it was for the same reason that she couldn't stop thinking of him or dreaming of him at night, and the reason that he couldn't stay away from her. Suddenly, every inhibition or apprehension that attempted to hold her back from Edward Cullen fell away, and she looked fiercely into his eyes. She tried to say something meaningful, something to tell Edward that no matter what, she couldn't lose him. And she would never turn away from him. "I don't care what you are. I owe my life to you, Edward."

His eyes remained locked on hers. "Did you just hear what I said?" He rose from his slouched position against the other end of the porch and took a tentative step towards her. Her heart began to gallop, urging her to turn around and follow its lead, but she was defiant and took her own step closer to him. He watched her, his dark eyes ablaze.

"I heard you." The wind blew again, causing her hair to whip her face and followed by it were traces of drizzle that had just begun to fall again. The skies seemed to get darker as the dawn became morning. "And I don't care." She watched delicate drops of rain accumulate on his the side of his face.

"You say this now," Edward whispered. He took another step toward her. "This isn't a game, Bella. I really am what I say I am." His face hardened and he finally broke eye contact, his gaze settling on the floor between them. "I'm a…monster."

Before she could process another thought, Bella felt herself flying toward him. She didn't hesitate as she put one hand on his chiseled cheek and wrapped her other arm around his waist. The embrace was very possessive and forward, and she was met with a rock hard resistance in the form of his body. He was as solid as stone, and cold as ice. But she fought to keep the bewilderment out of her expression as she maintained her grip. She licked her lips when Edward drew in a startled breath so sharp it sounded like a hiss. His eyes darted to her, alarm flashing in his bottomless pupils. She shivered involuntarily as she spoke again. "No." Bella felt as though she had been living in a passionless, colorless world her entire life until this moment right now, with her arms around Edward, her body pinned to his. "You are mine."

She watched his lips purse as he exhaled, the sweet smell of lilacs washing over her face. She gasped when his hand found the base of her spine and pressed on it firmly with splayed fingers, pushing her lower body to his. Her exposed skin between the waistline of her jeans and her shirt rippled with goose bumps, and a fire ignited in her abdomen. His other hand cautiously swept his fingertips over her the skin of her neck before they entwined in her hair. "I am yours."

* * *

Alice was perched on a boulder over-looking the streaming river behind her home. She gazed thoughtfully at the horizon where she could see every photon of the sun's rays trickle through the trees as they became muffled behind the thick clouds. In moments like these she was grateful for her phenomenal vision. Every once in awhile, her mind wandered to Edward and Bella. She could hardly contain the excitement building up inside of her. Her dear brother would soon be as happy as she was, as happy as her whole family was. Whole and complete with someone to love and trust just as they were.

And if she was being honest with herself, she was over the moon about how close she and Bella would become. _My sister, Bella said with a grin and embraced Alice. _

She indulged herself with visions that flickered over her eyes like a slideshow: Bella as a newborn vampire twirling in the woods, half-covered by shadows, half-exposed by the sun as the tiny crystals on her skin shimmered while everybody watched…Edward and Bella racing through the jungles of an exotic island somewhere in Africa on holiday, hunting game…Carlisle being grabbed by the scruff of his neck and slammed into the floor of his office, tiny cracks forming in his marble neck as the pale hands that grabbed him closed tighter around his throat…

The outline of Alice's figure was blurred as she zoomed through the forest and headed straight for the Cullen home where she was hoping someone would be there that could help.

* * *

Carlisle had decided to do it the hard way.

When he refused with his thoughts to fulfill Owen's request for Edward's whereabouts, he was met with a melodious laugh. "Surely, Carlisle, you don't wish me to force you?"

"The only thing I wish, Owen, is that the Volturi had sent someone competent enough to contain Edward's situation, not exacerbate it." There was silence and Carlisle attempted to fill it; if he kept talking, he could keep Owen out of his head. It was when he was incapacitated and unresponsive when Owen would be at his most dangerous. The silence was deafening for a few beats before Carlisle opened his mouth to speak again. Like the speed of a freight train, Owen's haste disoriented Carlisle as he found himself suddenly staring up at the ceiling of his office, the tile of the floor broken underneath him. Snarling filled his ears as he blinked back the searing pain and stared into Owen's rose-colored eyes. _Keep talking! _"You know your business here isn't for Aro's mission alone. You loathe Edward."

"I'm not the only one in that line," Owen admitted with a crazed expression. "Why aren't you fighting back, Carlisle? Still playing the good guy?"

"This is a place of business and filled with humans," Carlisle struggled to speak as Owen's lone grip around his neck applied more pressure. He didn't need to breathe to live, but the pain was blinding. "And you're the only one here drawing attention to yourself. My staff will come look for me soon, then what will you do? Attack them, too?" He saw a flicker of amusement fog over Owen's face and he continued. "Still want to try and convince me you're here to protect the Volturi's laws of secrecy?"

Owen sniffed the air, then used his other arm to crush Carlisle's chest with one, swift blow. "Thank you for your time, Carlisle," he then said softly, almost teasingly, his grasp on Carlisle's neck unflinching. "I'll see you again very soon." Then he was gone.

Carlisle lay still as the excruciating pain of Owen's attack intensified. He didn't have to wait long until the gentle click of his door closing and the smooth, cool hands of Alice touched his nearly detached neck, tearless sobs wracking her body.

"Was it Owen?" Jasper demanded in a panicked voice as he appeared behind her, poised to join Emmett who was running a perimeter outside of the hospital's walls with Rosalie.

"Yes," Carlisle croaked. "I can't tell if he could read everything in my mind, I kept him distracted." He tried not to move as Alice positioned his head carefully so that his skin could heal properly. "In my desk..."

"If only I had gotten here sooner!" Alice continued to cry, Carlisle's visible suffering too much for her to handle.

"Alice," Carlisle commanded her attention, raising a weak hand to grab her elbow. "In my desk. Top right drawer." She didn't move while Jasper looked inside the desk, following Carlisle's directions instead. "Do you see a black folder anywhere in there?"

"No," Jasper answered, searching the other drawers just in case. "What folder are you talking about?"

Carlisle winced, another wave of pain overcoming him as his body began to regenerate. He let out a cry of agony, riding the wave as still as he could while Alice continued to whimper. "Shh." She pet his cheek. "It'll be over soon."

Though their kind was able to recuperate from injuries such as the kind Owen caused him, the recovery was excruciating and nearly paralyzing. Carlisle could only wait it out, his crushed body on fire, his mouth twisted in a silent scream, all the while unable to warn his daughter and son that Owen had swiped the black folder that contained all of the research he had done on the robbery in Seattle and on Bella Swan.

* * *

Edward could stand there forever while the world burned around them, and he wouldn't have moved a muscle. Here, in Bella's arms while she was in his, they were safe and sound. His body was immovable and he could keep her safe from any threat, natural or man-made, as long as he could keep the feel of her soft, pliable arms around his body. She molded to his shape, almost as if she was made for him. His euphoric thoughts overcame the constant sweltering in his throat, the thirst that defined who he was.

Bella had come to him. She claimed him for her very own.

He would never doubt Alice again.

"I am yours." His reply statement was as binding as a contract. There would be no coming back; he was a dead man walking. Inwardly he snickered at his metaphor. He would die a thousand more deaths to feel this forever. Luckily vampires couldn't sleep—he never wanted this to end.

"Can we go inside?"

Her voice was rough, husky and it caused his hold on her to become tighter. Her request was tainted with insinuation: inside, where they couldn't be seen, heard…She was doing things to his body that he had never felt, in his years as a mortal or an immortal. He took a moment to compose himself as he realized it was probably because he had gripped her lower back, his fingers so dangerously close to her bottom, and was unconsciously pressing her harder to him. He released his grip. "Inside?" His voice sounded high, nervous.

"It's freezing out here…" Bella's head was tilted upward to look into his eyes, but her gaze lowered to his lips. _Dangerous._

"It's probably because I'm holding you." Edward smirked and took a step back. She whined a protest and was reluctant to let him go, so he moved his hands to gently squeeze her wrists, signaling that she should release her hold on his body. "We can't go inside yet. I'm still getting used to your…" He bit his lip and looked away, mortified.

"The smell of my blood?" Bella offered in a nonchalant voice. Her leveled attitude made him roll his eyes.

"How does it not bother you?" His question came out sarcastically but he had never wanted to know anything more in his life.

"Because I'm still here," she answered, her chin raising a fraction like an indignant child attempting to make a valid argument as to why they shouldn't have to eat their vegetables. "And so are you."

"It's not easy, you know," he chastised her lightly. "It's even worse when you come so close…" He watched her brows furrow and her face fall, and he backtracked. "Not that I don't enjoy it." _This is madness. Am I dreaming? _

"Worse? Like, does it hurt to smell me?"

"You could…say that." He crossed his arms across his chest and completed the furthest distance he could, reaching the other side of the porch while she stayed on her side. "It's not something I feel comfortable talking about right now, not when there are other things to be discussed." Edward's tone was all business. He would have to stifle the urge to declare his undying devotion and the nearly animalistic need to cover her mouth with his for another time. "We have to talk about what happened in Seattle. I'm afraid the realities of the situation involve you and you need to be informed."

"Right," Bella said carefully. He saw the color return to her face and she quit shuddering, her body temperature now rising back to safe levels now that he wasn't embracing her. She looked behind her and found an old, forgotten tin ice chest tucked into one corner of the porch. She yanked it to her then sat down on it dutifully. "First, can I say something?"

"Of course."

"I want to just…thank you." Her voice cracked and her eyes watered.

"Why? Why are you crying?" Edward's hand shot out in alarm, shaking his head from side to side. He once again thought about how he would give anything to be able to read her mind.

"I was so scared that day," she sniffled, roughly rubbing the palms of her hands against her eyes to wipe the tears that kept falling. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying, but it's true. I was terrified. And the fear never truly went away." She inhaled deeply, the breath labored due to her sobs. "Until I saw you outside of the diner this morning." Another wet exhale and furious rub of her eyes. "I haven't felt this safe since you were lying next to me on the floor of the bank during the robbery." She risked a glance up at Edward as he struggled for the right words to say. It felt so _wrong_ hearing Bella say she felt safe—_with him. _But he managed to nod as she stared miserably up at him.

"I would have never let anything happen to you." It was all he could say that felt true at that moment.

"Why did you do it?" Bella finally looked spent of her tears as her breathing evened out and she stared up at him again with glossy eyes. "Why me?"

"I think I should be asking you that." Edward looked into the distance as he heard a car start and a dog bark, sounds that Bella couldn't possibly have heard as the rain began to intensify. The pounding of the drops on the roof of her old truck clanged in contrast with his own velvety smooth voice. He spoke a little higher. "It was an ordinary day. I came to make a deposit at the bank for my family in our joint account. I was minding my own business as the teller completed my transaction, and you walked in." He licked his lips and winced, a very human gesture. "It was like I was being pulled away from the present and thrusted into my future. Your…" he swallowed, "Blood…the warm, constant beat of your heart." He paused, not wanting to frighten her as he had begun to come off as the blood-sucking vampire that he really was. "I can't say that it was just your vitality and my happening to be at the bank that brought us together. It was bigger than a coincidence. I mean, look at me. I'm not even supposed to exist." He gave a humorless laugh, continuing to stare at the floor of the porch. "It was something bigger than the both of us." He thought of Alice's visions and her ranting about destiny, fate. Finally gathering the courage to look into her eyes, Edward sighed as he watched her study him. "And I can't say that I'm sorry."

"I'm definitely not," Bella said as her tear-stained face broke into a small, shy smile. He clenched his fists together to keep from reaching out to touch her again as she continued. "I was there because my mom needed me to wire her some cash to pay her electricity bill. It was the last of the money I had after I paid my rent, and it was in the envelope that I gave to the robber." Her tone was suddenly sad, even bitter. Edward suddenly remembered the look her face that day when she hesitated to give up the tattered envelope in her hand as the robber snatched it away from her. "I knew the blonde robber would kill me if he took me with him. If I got into that truck, I was going to die." Edward was glad she was sitting down because she began to look woozy just remembering that day. He wished he could just casually put an arm around her to comfort her, but he had already pushed the limits by holding her. He had to pace himself. "I thought I was going to die. I fainted." She cleared her throat and it was her turn to look at the floor. "But even as I lay there unconscious, I think somehow I knew you had been there. That you would save me. I thought I could smell you…" She looked embarrassed. Edward grinned.

"What did I smell like?"

She hesitated. "I don't want to say." He didn't pressure her as she fought to keep speaking, her blush staining every inch of her skin. "But then I woke up and you were gone. And I was safe from the robbers. Then I dreamt of you every night, like my mind was preparing me for you to come back. My brain didn't let me forget one detail about you." They were quiet for a long time again, allowing the falling rain to fill the silence. The wind had begun to pick up, splashing them both with rain water. He watched Bella carefully as she welcomed the spray of the precipitation on her red face. The long sleeved thermal shirt she was wearing was white, and he could easily see the outline of her bra and her hardening nipples as her clothes dampened. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes shut, then he felt himself begin to swell in a peculiar manner. He needed a distraction.

"Do you still want to go inside?" he asked quietly. Hopefully he wouldn't regret this.

Bella turned to face him, momentarily forgetting the rain. "Sure." He suppressed a groan of desire when he heard the pace of her heartbeat quicken.

"But, can we sit near an open window?" he added. She giggled and nodded, then led the way inside. She closed the door behind them, this time leaving it unlocked and ushered Edward into the kitchen. He sat down at the small breakfast table while she opened the bay window that took up nearly the entire wall of the kitchen. The drizzly breeze was welcome as the intensity of her scent once again began to fade, though he was almost sorry. She smelled delicious in the rain.

"Did you want coffee?" Bella brought a hand up to her lips, shutting herself up. "Oh, God. Was that rude?"

"No," Edward laughed, raising his hand politely in protest. "No thank you. And no, that wasn't rude. You're being a gracious host." He watched her pour herself a full mug of coffee that was still boiling in its pot, perhaps because her father left it on, and take it to the table to sit across from him. He peered into her cup as the liquid almost poured over the sides. "That's a lot of coffee. Black. You don't add cream or sugar?"

"No," Bella answered, her nose scrunching up. "I like the real deal here." She carefully brought the cup to her lips and sipped as quietly as she could. "I have another question."

"Shoot."

"How did you…" Bella's questioning eyes were probing him for an answer he had wanted to avoid. He sighed deeply and she hesitated before finishing. "…kill those men?"

"You mean, did I drink their blood?" As much as he wanted to, Edward couldn't keep the hostile tone out of his voice.

"Edward," Bella gasped. "Of course that's not what I meant." Her tone lowered angrily. "And I have no reservations about what you are, so it's unfair of you to assume so."

He didn't like where the conversation was headed, but he had to put it out there. Bella deserved to know what she was getting herself into. "It's what I do, Bella." He didn't include the fact that he hadn't consumed human blood for sustenance in the better half of a century, save for the relished taste of the blood of the blonde robber as he ripped him limb from limb with his teeth. Informing Bella that Edward feasted only on the blood of wild animals would only cause her not to fully grasp the gravity of the situation. He jabbed an accusing finger at her cup of coffee and she stared down at the mug, expecting something. "You drink coffee. I drink blood. I need it to survive."

Bella leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms purposefully, a vexed expression fixed on her face as she eyed him. "Well then I guess it's non-optional and maybe you should get over it."

Edward was overcome with disbelief. _He _should get over it? Before he could open his mouth to reply, she raised her hand, cutting him off as he raised an eyebrow. _She's remarkable._

"I already told you I don't care what you are. All I care is that you're here now, and I don't want anything to happen to you. So I drink coffee? I also eat pizza and drink Gatorade. I do what I have to do in order to sustain my life, and you're allotted the same permission. I don't care what you 'eat'." She used her fingers to quote _eat_. Her mouth was set into a firm, thin line as she dared him with her smoldering eyes to argue. Instead, he guffawed.

"No wonder Alice loves you." As soon as the sentence left his mouth, he wished he could take it back. It was certainly too soon to further test the loony waters that he found himself wading in to alert Bella of him and his sister's freakish talents (his mind-reading, her future-seeing). He watched her frown elate slightly.

"Ah, yes," she said knowingly, taking another sip from her coffee as the deaths of the robbers and Edward's blood-drinking were forgotten...for now. "Alice."

"She's something, huh?"

"She's stunning," Bella gushed. "You vampires sure got it going on in the perfection department."

It was Edward's turn to frown. She was so good at putting him in his place, how he wished he had all the time in the world to put her in her's. Bella's beauty was the kind that men went to war for. Her neck so elegant, her hair luscious, her heart-shaped face mesmerizing…he stopped himself before he got carried away. "I didn't mean her appearance, Bella."

"I know," Bella said. "But she is." She suddenly looked out the window, searching for something he couldn't even begin to guess. "Where is she now?" The question surprised Edward, mostly because he hadn't realized that it had been so long since he had heard Alice's thoughts. Surely she would have been by the surrounding woods outside of Bella's house by now to see if everything was alright. But then he realized she would have seen in her mind that everything was okay, and that's probably why she hadn't dropped in. But his sister was something of a prying sort, so he began to worry.

"I don't know, actually," Edward answered before reaching into his pocket, then pausing. He had started to retrieve his phone, but had just remembered that he had crumpled it into tiny pieces the night before when Alice and Jasper had come looking for Bella. He shook off the cold feeling he had suddenly experienced and smiled at the curious girl in front of him. "You'll see her again soon."

"She said the same thing," Bella snickered, sipping her coffee again. "She told me she'd see me soon."

"Alice is usually right," Edward said vaguely while the two of them settled comfortably into the quiet. There were still questions to be asked and answered on both side's behalf, but for now, they just admired each other with great restraint, in no hurry to be anywhere but where they were at that moment.


End file.
